


A Flapper Life

by Pharm



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-03-19 15:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 74,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3615705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pharm/pseuds/Pharm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1927 St. Louis, former debutant Vivian Buschner is asked to leave her home by her cheating husband. At Easter Mass she meets a man who wants to change her world. (Not sure this description works, but I'm trying.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first time posting anything here, so please be kind! This is an original work that I wrote over 12 days in February 2013. It's been edited once to correct the atrocious ending I originally wrote. Any thoughts or suggestions on things I can improve or remove all together are appreciated!!
> 
> The real violence won't come until later. I will give warnings before those chapters. :-)

“Vivian, I need to see you for a moment, please.”

I looked up from my book to see my husband, Bernard, standing in the door to the library. He didn’t look happy. I tried thinking what I had done that would upset him and couldn’t think of a single thing. He wanted to beg out of a few nights of society functions and I didn’t argue with him. I placed a bookmark in my book and got up off the chaise.

“Yes, darling. What is wrong?”

“I need to talk to you about something.”

“What? I haven’t gone shopping despite desperately needing to update my wardrobe. With Lent starting tomorrow, I’ve agreed to not purchase anything new until  
Easter.”

“Yes, I know.” He sat down behind the large desk he insisted he had to have in his study. “Please, sit down.”

I sat down in one of the smaller chairs across from the desk. 

“What have I done that has you so upset?”

He took a deep breath and folded his hands in front of him.

“I need you to move out of this house and to sign the divorce papers whenever they arrive. Mabel is pregnant and I need to be free to take care of her.”

For a moment I wished he would just pummel me with a blunt object. My brain was having difficulties comprehending what he had just said to me.

“Move out of my home? Are you drunk? Who on earth is Mabel?”

He ran his fingers through his prematurely greying hair. A shower of grey hairs fell onto the desk.

“I’m so stressed even my hair is leaving me. Mabel is the mistress I’ve been keeping for a couple of years now. She informed me at Christmas that she is pregnant. I have made the decision that you and I will divorce so that our child will have two proper parents.”

“You expect me to just pack my things and leave and sign whatever you decide is fair for me to receive as your ex-wife?”

“Yes, I expect you to do exactly that. Marie is seeing that all your clothes are safely stowed in your trunk. There will be a cab arriving in approximately fifteen minutes to take you to the apartment I’ve set up for you.”

I couldn’t contain my anger any longer. I stood up and slammed my fists down on the desk in front of him.

“Is that what you’ve been doing for the past month? You’ve been making arrangements behind my back to get me out of our home so you can move your pregnant mistress in? You do realize you are committing social suicide with our friends.”

“No, I’ve committed your social homicide by telling them that you’re leaving me for another man.”

“You did what? And they believed you? All my friends?”

None of the wives of the men Bernard worked with were close friends, but they were all I had when Bernard was working late and, apparently, sneaking around with his mistress.

“They believed me because their husbands believed me. Now, I would go get dressed unless you want to arrive at your new apartment in your nightgown, darling.”

Everything came out of nowhere. I never even suspected that he was cheating on me. Looking at it in that moment, I realized that all the signs were there. I was just too blind to see any of them. I wanted to respond to him, but I knew the best way to get back at him would be to find my own lawyer and fight for everything I could get from him. Instead of arguing any more, I turned on my heel and went upstairs to put on something to be seen in public in. 

Marie curtsied to me when I entered my room. I had been thinking of it as my room instead of our room for the past year when Bernard moved all this things into one of the guest rooms. That was definitely a sign I had missed. 

“I’m going to need this nightgown packed too, please. I’ll need a day dress to put on.”

“Yes, Mrs. Buschner.”

I laughed at being called such a name.

“I’m not Mrs. Buschner anymore.”

She stared at me wide eyed while I took the dress from her. I slipped the nightgown and robe off to put on the dress. She rushed towards me to help me button it up. I waved her away.

“I need to get used to doing this for myself, Marie. Unless, Bernard is sending you with me.”

“He hasn’t mentioned anything to me about that, Mrs. Buschner.”

“I didn’t think he would do something so magnanimous.”

Marie curtsied and scurried out the door with my nightgown and robe in her hands. Apparently my trunk was already completely packed and waiting by the front door. I looked around my room and there wasn’t anything else to take with me. A thought hit me and I went to my dresser and opened the top drawer. Sure enough, there sat all my boxes containing my pearls and other jewelry I had been given over the course of our courtship and marriage. Other boxes contained things my parents gave me. I didn’t care what he thought or what orders he gave to Marie, my jewelry was coming with me. I opened my closet, pulled out a pillow case and started placing boxes from the finest jewelry stores in St. Louis into the pillow case. Once that drawer was emptied, I checked the others to make sure that I had everything. The rest of the drawers were empty. 

Satisfied that everything that was rightfully mine was coming with me, I left my room and went to find my trunk so I could be ready when the cab arrived. I didn’t want to be in that house any more than Bernard wanted me there. 

I found my trunk sitting right by the front door, right where I expected to find it. I sat down on it to wait for the doorbell to ring. I looked like a child running away from home with my pillowcase full of stuff. Bernard walked by once. Since I figured the boxes had been left in my dresser because he didn’t want me to take them with me, I tried to hide the bulky thing I placed at my feet. He didn’t even look at me. That should have hurt me, but I was too busy plotting his early demise to be bothered by it.

The doorbell rang and I answered it before anyone else could think about getting the door. I opened it to find a strange woman standing there. As soon as I caught sight of her barely yet still visibly pregnant belly, I knew who she was. The fact that all the color drained from her face only confirmed who she was.

“Mabel,” I growled between clenched teeth.

“Wh-what are you still doing here?”

I answered her with a slap across her face that reverberated through the entryway. That drew Bernard’s attention. He came at me full charge. I held my hand up to him.

“If you want to me to grant you a divorce, I’d not touch me, Bernard. Take your floozy and get out of my sight.”

He clenched and unclenched his fists several times before deciding that maybe it was better if he didn’t touch me. He did shove me aside to wrap his arm around Mabel’s shoulders. She held her face like it was going to fall off if her hand wasn’t there. I glared at their backs as he murmured something in her ear as he helped her up the stairs. It wasn’t my most ladylike moment, but it made me feel better. 

The doorbell rang again and that time it was the cab driver there to pick me up.

“Miss Vivian?”

“Yes.”

“Any bags?”

“Just the trunk.”

He looked at it, let out a sigh before picking it up and hauling it to the cab. I climbed into the back seat.

“The address given to me is twenty-seven zero three North Grand Boulevard. Is that correct?”

“You would know better than I would. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to get into the apartment.”

He glanced over his shoulder before easing the car into traffic.

“Has it been one of those days for you?”

“You could say that. I don’t know how I’m going to survive on my own. I’ve never lived by myself. I’m not even sure I can operate a stove without setting fire to something.”

He nodded and smiled at me in the rearview mirror. I had no idea why I expected the cabbie would be sympathetic to what had started out as such a normal Tuesday. The drive to my new home took longer than I expected it to take. I didn’t know anyone in that neighborhood, so I had no idea exactly where it was. Once I stepped onto the sidewalk, I found myself pleasantly surprised that it was in a decent part of town at least. 

“Vivian Shaw?”

I looked at the voice. A gentleman in a suit was extending his hand towards me. I shook his hand. It felt weird.

“I guess I should get used to being called that again. Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m Hampton Waterson. I’m the superintendent of the building. Your ex-husband has set up everything for you. It’s very nice that he’s taking care of you despite  
what has happened.”

“You mean him moving his pregnant mistress into our family home? Yes, that is quite a tragedy.”

“Um, that wasn’t what I was referring to, but yes, that would be a tragedy.”

“I assume you’re going to be showing me my new apartment.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

His entire demeanor changed once I mentioned the pregnant mistress. Bernard was having a good time spreading his spin on the truth to whomever would listen. No matter what I tried to do, I was going to be the one seen as the cheater. I didn’t like that one bit, but I didn’t know what to do about it. I suspected nothing.  
He led the way to the second floor where he unlocked a door and let me go in first.

“Mr. Buschner furnished the place. I thought that was decent of him until I’ve learned the truth. He has arranged to have groceries delivered every Monday. The kitchen was stocked yesterday. You should be ready to move right in.”

“Wonderful. Hopefully the cabbie will be willing to bring my trunk up the stairs for me.”

“I’m sure he will.”

Sure enough, the cabbie followed right behind us with the trunk. Hampton handed me a key.

“Here is your key. All the utilities are on. If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to knock on my door. I’m in 1A.”

“Thank you.”

Hampton left and the cabbie followed him before I could even pay him. I assumed that Bernard was going to pay for the drive over to my place. I hoped he would give him a good tip. I wanted to look at my new place in more detail, but emotion overtook me as I threw myself across my new bed to have a good cry. I thought I at least deserved that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vivian discovers how long she has hidden herself away.

I stayed in bed for a couple of days, at least. I had no desire to eat. When my glass of water was empty, I’d get up and refill it. Once or twice I grabbed a chunk of break and choked it down to quiet my stomach enough to let me sulk in silence. It was during one of my up to get water times that I heard my buzzer sound. I opened my door and saw Bernard standing at the front door of my building. I hadn’t taken time to find a lawyer yet. I didn’t expect him to work that fast. I went downstairs and let him in.

“Did you bribe a judge to put a rush on our divorce so that you’re here with the papers already?”

“Can we talk about this in your apartment, please?”

I turned away from him to walk up the stairs and assumed he followed me. It wasn’t until he closed the door to my apartment that I was sure. He sat down on the sofa.

“This isn’t very comfortable. You really should see about getting some new furniture.”

“You should know. You’re the one who chose it for me. What do you want Bernard?”

“I’ve been thinking.”

“That was dangerous. Weren’t you worried your head would explode?”

He visibly bristled but remained calm. I was impressed. Whatever he wanted to say must have been very important to him.

“I haven’t been fair to you at all.”

“No arguments here.”

“I’ve decided we should just separate. There no point in dragging our families’ names through the mud with a divorce.”

“Mabel won’t marry you?”

He looked up at me. I refused to sit down with him in the room. 

“She would love to marry me, but I’ve been asked to keep the Buschner name out of the newspaper. She understands that quite well.”

“Ah, Mom and Dad have given their opinion on the matter. Aren’t they worried about having a bastard grandchild?”

“They’d rather have that than to tell the world that you’re an adulterer. They have a lot of respect for your parents’ memories among their friends. They don’t want it to be known what type of person you are.”

“Don’t you think people will figure out that I’m not the adulterer when they meet your pregnant mistress? You really are an idiot, Bernard. Get out. If you don’t file for divorce, I’ll file. My parents are dead. They can’t be hurt anymore by your lies, but you are trying to hurt me as much as possible. Why? Why can’t you own up to being a horrible person and stop trying to ruin my life?”

“You might want to hold off on that filing for divorce.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Well, I went to the bank this morning and set up this account for you to help you update your wardrobe, go out and possibly make new friends. Isn’t that the least bit tempting?”

He handed me the bank book. There was enough money in the account to impress me. I stared at him over the top of it.

“What is this? A bribe?”

“Just showing you that you can still have nice things without destroying your reputation any more than it’s been destroyed by me.”

I wanted to leap across the room and beat the smug smile off his ugly face. If I did that, he’d only blame it on the nonexistent boyfriend he told everyone I had. That would only play more to his favor. There wasn’t any way I was going to let that happen.

“Seeing as how a divorce would only benefit you, I really can’t argue, can I?”

“Mabel isn’t happy, but she at least knows not to question me as you are wont to do. She knows what I’m doing is truly for the best for everyone involved.”

“I doubt that. Get out of my apartment or I’ll go find myself a boyfriend based only on his ability to punch that smile from your face.”

He got up from the couch and walked over the where I had remained standing by the door.

“It’s been lovely doing business with you, Vivian.”

He tried to kiss me on the cheek only I stepped away and managed to push him away as well.

“Rot in hell, bastard,” I replied before slamming the door on him.

If he made any reply through the door, I didn’t hear it as I returned to my bed for more sulking. I knew I shouldn’t have let myself get so down about someone I knew on some level didn’t love me as my father loved my mother, but I had always hoped he’d see me how I wanted him to see me. 

As time moved on, I began to be fairly certain that no one had ever suffered during Lent as I forced myself to suffer. It was more in the form of pouting and wishing I could die, but I still denied myself the most basic things. Yes, I had groceries delivered every Monday, but I threw a lot of rotten stuff out the next weekend. More than once I nearly requested the delivery be taken where someone would actually eat the food, but I couldn’t figure out how to make that happen. I was stuck with getting fresh food every Monday whether I was going to eat it or not.

One Monday when I received my delivery, I decided I needed to know what day it was. If I needed to pay rent or utilities, I should find out what day it was first. 

“Here is your delivery, Miss Vivian.”

“Thank you. Can you tell me what day it is?”

“It’s Monday, same as always.”

“I know it’s Monday. What is the date?”

“It’s April eleventh.”

“I’ve been barely existing for over a month? How did I do that?”

“I don’t have the answer to that, Miss Vivian. Here are your groceries.”

I took the sack from the delivery boy and carried it to the kitchen. I didn’t even bother closing the door. My mind could only focus on the fact that the next Sunday was Easter Sunday. 

“I”m going to close the door, Miss Vivian. You have a nice day. I’ll see you next Monday.”

“Thank you, Charles,” I called from the kitchen. I was glad I had someone watching out for me. Everything happens for a reason. I was beginning to think that the reason everything was happening with Bernard was to show me that I didn’t need him to make my life worth something. Easter was about rebirth and new beginnings. Perhaps it was time for me have my own rebirth and new beginning. 

First I walked away from the bag of food only to remember that if I didn’t get some things put into the ice box, I’d have spoiled food well before the weekend. After putting my eggs and milk into it, I went to my closet to look at the dresses I hadn’t given a second thought to after I placed them there during one of my more lucid moments during the previous month. I wanted to go shopping for a new dress, but I decided that I didn’t have the energy to attempt to do that. 

Since I figured I would be attending a different church, I decided to wear the dress I bought for the previous Easter. Styles didn’t change fast enough to make it too outrageous looking, I hoped. I pulled it off its hanger and held it up to me. It didn’t look like it was going to fit me. I slipped it on over my nightgown. It hung on me a bit. It was never a form fitting dress, but it was even less so after nearly a month and a half of existing on water and bread. I decided it was time for me to make use of the food stocked in my kitchen.

After getting the dress off and hung back up, I went into the kitchen, pulled out a skillet and started it heating on the stovetop. Fortunately fried eggs were something I could make with a healthy dose of confidence. I dropped a dollop of butter into the pan and waited for it to melt and stop foaming before cracking an egg into the skillet. I discovered that I had to force myself to concentrate on what I was doing. I guess once a brain decides it doesn’t want to think about anything, it’s not easy to get it to think about anything again. I’d have to get it back into shape. 

Once it was cooked to perfection, I sat down and ate it entirely too fast as it revisited me nearly as soon as I got it down. Instead of immediately trying to force myself to eat again, I got the bath water running. I had been keeping up with basic hygiene, but I could use a good soak and scrubbing and I knew it well. Once that was done and I put on regular clothes, I went into the kitchen and attempted another egg. That time I ate it slowly, purposely chewing and swallowing each bite. I managed to keep that egg down. It was a start.

As I looked at myself in a large mirror Bernard had for some strange reason decided to hang in my living room, I realized that I didn’t have enough eggs in the house to make me not look so sallow, but I was off to a good start. I would start taking care of myself. I had no one else to make sure I did anymore. I had to decide for myself to eat regularly and maybe try to get outside for some sun. It wasn’t going to be easy starting over, but I was going to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone who is reading this! Comments might get me to post more than a chapter a day since I have the whole thing written already. (Hint. Hint.) :-)


	3. Chapter 3

Easter Sunday arrived and the dress still hung on me. I had started to fill my face back out some, but I still looked like I was just a meal or two away from starvation. I had always been unnaturally skinny, but I looked ridiculous. The dark circles under my eyes didn’t help. I looked a lot older than my twenty-seven years. Despite that, I was going to go out into the world. So it was only Easter Mass, it was an important day to venture outside my home.

My buzzer buzzed. I double checked that I looked okay and had cash in my purse for the cab ride there and back. I grabbed my keys and walked out the door. The cab driver was waiting for me on the step.

“Miss Vivian?”

“Yes.”

“Right this way.” He helped me down the steps and into the back of his car before getting into the driver’s seat. “Where am I taking you on such a fine Easter Morning?”

“To Easter Mass. I don’t know this area well. Is there a Catholic Church close by?”

He smiled at me in the rear view mirror.

“Yes, there is. If I recall their schedule, we should be just in time for mass to start.”

“Thank you. I had hopes that this would be a fairly normal time.”

It took less time to get there than I was expecting. I was amazed at how much the world was sprouting to life in the short time I locked myself away from it. The trees were putting on new foliage, perhaps it was high time I did the same. He stopped in front of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. I took a deep breath right before he helped me out of the backseat. I handed him a bill. I didn’t even look at what I was giving him.

“Is that enough?”

“Do you want me to wait for you?”

“I think I will call for another cab when the service is over.”

“Then this is too much, Miss Vivian.”

“You’ve been kind. It’s a tip.”

He tipped his hat.

“Thank you. Happy Easter.”

“Happy Easter.”

I hurried into the church with the rest of the stragglers and found it was standing room only so close to the beginning of services. I was about to join those standing when a man turned around, looked at me, turned back to the front and then turned back to me. He stood up and approached me.

“You can have my seat, miss.”

“I’m fine to stand.”

“Mama didn’t raise me to allow a beautiful woman to stand at the back of the church when I am able to give up my seat to her.”

“I couldn’t.”

“You will.”

He took my hand and sat me down and then joined the crowd at the back of the church. I wanted to tell him thank you, but the organ and choir started, signaling that I needed my focus to be elsewhere. As a child I always loved Easter and Christmas Mass. They each had their own charm and reasons to love them, but there was something about the message of the rising from the dead that always struck a chord in me. After what was happening with Bernard, it was especially pertinent that day. 

Once mass was ended, I tried to hurry out of my seat to find the young man who gave up his chance to not have to stand only to find that those who stood in the back had the most direct route to exit first. My heart fell. A perfect stranger did something so very sweet for me and I wasn’t going to get to say thank you. I filed into line with everyone else to wish the Father a Happy Easter and find some place I could find a taxi to take me back home. 

“Happy Easter, Father.”

I extended my hand to him and he gave me a hearty handshake.

“Happy Easter. Ah, a new face in the crowd this morning. Are you visiting or new to our parish?”

“I’m new to this area of the city.”

“Welcome. Let me introduce you to the head of our welcoming committee. Mrs. Wallace, I have a new face for you this morning.”

A well-endowed woman wearing a ruffled lilac dress came bustling over to us.

“Mrs. Wallace, may I introduce you to…”

“Vivian Bushner.”

Since we weren’t divorcing, I had to keep that cursed name. I extended my hand to her. She shook it before tucking it into the crook of her arm.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Vivian. I’m Eugenia Wallace. Let’s get you introduced to some of the other young single people of the parish.”

I gave her a weak smile. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I wasn’t exactly single. If Bernard was going to behave as if he was unattached, I was going to do the same, mostly.

“Ah, young people.” A group stopped their talking to look at Mrs. Wallace. “I have a new person to introduce to you. This is Vivian Buschner. Vivian, this is Irene, Agnes, Roy, Reino and Malvina.”

As she said their names, they tipped their heads in acknowledgement. Well, everyone but Reino did so. At least I didn’t know any of them, so I didn’t have to worry that they’d point out that I didn’t belong with them.

“Very nice to meet all of you.”

“I’ll leave you to get to know everyone.”

I watched Mrs. Wallace waddle away from me. She was nice enough, but looking at the group standing in front of me, I should have followed her because there was no way I was going to be part of this crowd.

“I’m glad to know that I was giving my place in the pew to someone who wasn’t just visiting our church.”

I turned towards the voice to find the nice man who had been so kind to me. His grey eyes could see into my soul, they were so piercing. Being framed by dark brows, dark hair and subtly tanned skin only accented that. I smiled at him.

“Yes, I hope to be here on a regular basis, Mr.?”

“Reinaldo Bianchi. Reino to my friends or heads of the welcoming committee who have trouble wrapping their tongues around Reinaldo.”

“Reinaldo, I am glad to find you still here.”

“As am I. Would you care to take a stroll around the church grounds with me?”

He held out his hand to me and I not only felt compelled to take it, but I felt I needed to take it. He tucked my hand in his elbow and started walking at a leisurely pace.

“I want to thank you for being such a gentleman and letting me sit down through what is a long service.”

“You are welcome, Vivian. I was glad to help. You look like you wouldn’t have made it through the whole thing standing up.”

“I probably wouldn’t have made it, Reinaldo.”

“Reino, to my friends.”

“Are we instant friends, Reino?”

“Not instant, but I feel that you and I will become friends before long.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I can read people. It’s a gift and one of the reasons my father trusts me so completely with the family business.”

“You read people. And what do I read as? A torrid romance? A mystery?”

He smiled at me revealing perfectly straight, white teeth.

“I’m hoping a little bit of both.”

I felt the blush spreading across my cheeks. I was flirting with a man. I was flirting with a man who was not my husband. I was flirting with a man who was not my husband on church grounds. No matter what I added to that thought, it only got worse. I was fairly certain that such a thing wasn’t going to earn me any grace in the scheme of things. 

I was enjoying the attention, but he was too young for me to seriously consider getting to know better. I needed to get home. The sooner that happened the better. Even if by some small chance he didn’t object to me still being married, I couldn’t hold the attention of someone so young and dashing and handsome.

“Mr. Bianchi, I really should be finding a cab to take me home. I’ve been a hermit these past weeks and haven’t been able to hire a driver yet.”

“Please, Reino, Vivian. Mr. Bianchi is my father.”

“Reino, you are being entirely too kind to me. I appreciate it, but I must take myself home now.”

He stopped and studied me for a bit. I should have been uncomfortable with his scrutiny, but I didn’t feel he was assessing me as a piece of flesh to ogle. He was sizing me up. That worried me a bit.

“I’m going to make you a deal, Vivian. If you will agree to meet me at the club tonight, I will loan you my driver so you don’t have to try to find a cab to take you home.”

“And what will your driver do while waiting to take me to wherever you plan to meet me?”

“Hayes will come back here to get me and take me home. I’ll send him to you at eleven sharp to bring you to where I’d like to get to know you better.”

“At night? As in an hour before midnight?”

“Yes.”

“Why so late?”

“Do you have a curfew at the boardinghouse?”

My nostrils flared in indignation. He grinned at me. He knew he had goaded me into meeting him whether I really wanted to do so or not.

“I live in an apartment by myself with no curfew or anyone checking in on me.”

“Good, so you’ll meet me when I send my driver?”

“Yes, Reinaldo, I will meet you wherever you want to meet. I assume this is a public place.”

“Relatively,” he replied as he stopped next to a brand spanking new Rolls Royce Phantom. I couldn’t help feeling my jaw drop. Even with all my privileged life growing up, I never was driven around town in a Rolls. I reached out to touch it but pulled my hand back as if it might burn me. “You can touch the car. I trust you won’t scratch her.”

I shook my head and stepped away from the car.

“I can’t be driven home in this. What will my neighbors think if they see me getting out of this?”

“Hopefully that there is a nice gentleman who wanted to see that you made it home safely after attending Easter Mass. Until tonight, Vivian.”

“Until tonight, Reino.”

He placed a kiss on the back of my hand that had spent the walk in the crook of his arm before tucking me into the backseat of the car, alone. 

“Hayes, I want you to make sure you take good care of Miss Vivian. Take her home and then come back for me. I promised Mama I would invite Father Dwyer over for Easter dinner.”

“Yes, sir.”

Reino gave me a small wave before turning to go back into the church. Hayes smiled in the rearview mirror at me.

“Where to, Miss Vivian?”

“Twenty-seven zero three North Grand Boulevard, please.”

“Yes, Miss Vivian.”

He pulled away from the curb and away from Reino. I didn’t figure Hayes would answer, but I had questions.

“So, what can you tell me about Reinaldo Bianchi?”

“I make it a policy to never talk about my employer.”

“Not a bad policy, truly, but am I safe meeting him out so late at night?”

“If I had a daughter, I would trust her with him no matter the hour.”

“So, he’s a good man?”

“That would be my opinion, Miss.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As the ride to the church earlier had been, the drive back to my apartment took less time than I was expecting. I started to open the door myself, but Hayes was out of the car and opening the door for me before I could even touch the door handle.

“Which buzzer is yours so I don’t wake everyone up tonight trying to find you?”

“Oh, I’m number four. Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Miss Vivian.”

He waited until I was safely inside before getting back into the Rolls and driving away. For the first time since Bernard asked me to leave our home, I found myself humming and grinning; two things I hadn’t done since I was a teenager and attending finishing school. If felt good to be in a good mood again.

I entered my apartment. I had twelve hours before Hayes would return to ferry me to wherever Reino wanted to meet me. I headed straight to my closet. I wanted to find something appropriate to wear. Judging by the girls Mrs. Wallace introduced me to at the church, my wardrobe was woefully out of date. I didn’t think clothing aged that fast, but maybe I was wrong. Or perhaps I had only dressed as my society friends thought I should, a mold I wanted to break soon. I had more immediate concern in finding something to wear to meet Reino among what I already owned. 

I pulled an armload of dresses from my closet and threw them across my bed. One by one I picked them up, held them up and then threw them into the corner. This one was a bad color. That one looked too frumpy. Actually, there were lots of them that looked too frumpy. I was certain once Reino learned I was a never going to be divorced woman in her late twenties, I’d never see him again. I wanted to enjoy even the tiniest amount of a good time before that happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I know I have one person reading this, I will continue to post chapters. 
> 
> Hi Bucky!! I promise to do my best to get through chapter 10 up today. We'll see how much the migraine lets me do. :-)


	4. Chapter 4

I looked at myself in the same mirror I had examined my reflection in after discovering Easter was so close. I still looked tired, but I looked, dare I even think it, happy. I didn’t understand why I was happy. I was leaving to meet a man I had spent mere minutes with that morning. I didn’t know where I was meeting him, but I agreed to meet him.

I finally found a gown I thought would be appropriate for wherever he wished to take me. The style of it was more than likely outdated. It was fashionable enough for society parties, or it had been six months ago. I hoped it was okay for tonight. It had short sleeves and a wide neck with a drop waist. Lengthwise I knew it was longer than I’d seen some women wear, but it was a shade of blue the complimented my eyes and didn’t make me look washed out. The delicate beading on the waist and the hem made it dressy enough to an evening or night date, rather. My long gloves sat next to my clutch purse. I hated wearing gloves, but I would wear them if I felt I needed them.

My sallow reflection stared back at me. Make up shopping would have been completely scandalous as a married woman, but as a whatever I was considered being still married while my husband lived with his pregnant mistress instead of me, could very well possibly do what she wanted to. I ran my fingers across my long pearl necklace I had managed get out of the house without Bernard saying anything about it or any of my other jewelry. Could I do what I wanted without fearing reprisals from the society friends I used to have? There was one way to find out; just to do whatever I wanted to do.

My buzzer rang at eleven o’clock on the dot.

I grabbed my clutch and my gloves and left my apartment in a better mood than I had that morning. Not knowing whether my neighbors were already tucked into their beds or not, I tiptoed down the stairs. Hayes had the door open and waiting for me when I got outside. Once I was safely stowed in the backseat, I put my gloves on just in case. He got into the driver’s seat and we were on our way.

“I have instructions for you. Are you ready?”

“Instructions? For how to find Reino? Where am I going? A speakeasy?”

“Well, yes, Miss Vivian. That’s exactly where you’re going.”

I froze. I couldn’t believe I had inadvertently agreed to meet a man I hardly knew at a speakeasy. What kind of woman did he think I was if I agreed to meet him? I couldn’t believe how naive I was being in regards to Reino Bianchi. 

“Hayes, I can’t be seen going into a speakeasy.”

“If you do things right, no one will see you going into it.”

“What will my friends think?”

“I don’t have an answer for that one, Miss Vivian. I’m sorry.”

“Never mind. I don’t have friends, currently.”

I tried to keep the panic down. I felt bad enough to be meeting him at all. Meeting him in a speakeasy just could not happen. Could it?

“I can’t do this.”

“Please, at least meet him so he knows I did my job. I’ll wait fifteen minutes before I go park in my usual spot, if you’d like me to do so. Even if all you do is tell him that you have changed your mind, he will at least know I did what I was supposed to do.”

I took a deep breath.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this. Tell me how to get to him, please.”

“When I stop and let you out, you go into the restaurant and tell them you’re there to see Reino. You’ll be escorted through the restaurant to the less used kitchen doors. Go through the door, walk straight back to the backdoor. You’ll be able to see it from where you came into the kitchen. Exit the building, turn to your right, take five large steps and then turn left. You’ll want to walk forward carefully so you don’t trip down the stairs. After you get down the stairs, walk straight forward until you come to a door. Knock four times. When you hear a voice ask ‘Yeah?’ tell him you’re there to see Reino. The door should immediately open. If it doesn’t, someone will be answering to Reino."

“Why? Is he in good with the boss or something?”

“No, Miss Vivian, he is the boss.”

Well, if I was considering immersing myself in the world of illegal liquor, I might as well do it knowing the one running the speakeasy. He should be one of the first they make sure got out of the place if it was raided. When I decided to make a life change, I made a life change. I was fairly certain that no one I attended finishing school with would have ever considered doing what I was about to do with my evening.

“Oh, Hayes, what have I gotten myself into? I am going to be so out of place in his world.”

“Reino will make sure you have a good time. Rest assured of that.”

“Maybe, but this gown is so wrong and I’ve never worn makeup. I’ve never even tasted alcohol. I don’t know what I’m doing. He’s going to ask me to leave half-way through the night, if I make it that long.”

“He won’t ask you to leave. Just sit down with him, be charming without effort and the evening will go smoothly.”

“What if he wants to see me again?”

“Mr. Bianchi not good enough for you?”

“Not that at all. I’m afraid it’s the other way. I’m not the right person to be in his world.” The car stopped in front of an almost unnoticeable restaurant. If it hadn’t been for the light around the shades, you’d never know there was anything inside the building. “It’s too late to change my mind, isn’t it?”

“No, it isn’t, but give him an evening. You’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

He got out of the car and opened the door for me.

“Do you want me to wait?”

“No, I think I’ll be fine.”

“Very well, Miss Vivian,” he replied with a tip of his hat before getting back into the Rolls and driving away.

A man stepped out of the shadows making me let out a little scream. He smiled at me and opened the door to the restaurant. Inside it certainly didn’t smell like a restaurant, but there were people scattered around the room with plates in front of them. They all looked bored. A man approached me

“May I help you?”

“I’m here to see Reino.”

The man’s eyes grew wide before he bowed to me.

“Right this way, Miss.”

Just as Hayes said, he led me to a door that looked like it rarely got used since it was in a dark corner of the room. I went through it straight to the backdoor. The sound of the door slamming shut behind me reminded me why I wasn’t fit for this kind of lifestyle.

The alley would have been pitch black if the full moon hadn’t been the night before. At least I wasn’t walking blind. I turned to my right, took five large steps and then turned left. I wanted to walk forward with confidence, but I couldn’t risk falling down the stairs and not being found. I felt forward with my right foot trying to find the first step. When I found it, I slowly stepped down. My foot hit another step, so I started walking down them carefully. It would have been easier with a handrail, but I guess when you’re trying to hide a speakeasy, it’s best if you don’t make it look like it’s a place people would want to go into.

After ten steps I ran out of stairs. I couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped my lips. With the staircase directly behind me, I stepped forward until I felt something solid in front of me. Was it a door? I had no idea. I knocked four times and waited. A small sliding door opened.

“Yeah?”

“I’m here to see Reino.”

“Is that so? And what if he ain’t in tonight?”

“If he isn’t in, he shouldn’t have sent Hayes to get me, bring me here and tell me how to find him. Now, do I get to see him or not?”

I had no idea where the attitude came from, but it worked. The door immediately opened, admitting me into the corner of the a smoke filled room. From the shadow an arm connected to a voice pointed me towards a slightly better lit room.

“If he’s really expecting you, you’ll find him that way.”

“He is expecting me and thank you.”

The voice grunted in reply and the door closed behind me. I walked into the light. Being a Sunday night and Easter to boot, I expected the place to be relatively deserted. I was mistaken. There were bodies everywhere. I didn’t know where I was going to find Reino in the mass of people. I instantly regretted telling Hayes that I would be fine and he didn’t have to wait. I finally managed to squeeze my way up to the bar.

“What can I get you?”

“I am looking for Reino. Do you know where I can find him?”

The easy smile on the man’s face disappeared.

“Right this way, Miss.”

He came out from behind the bar and started pushing people aside to let me get through them. People gave him dirty looks as he made a path for me. I suddenly felt as if I had the attention of every person in the room. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not.

“Someone here for you, Boss.”

He stopped and since I wasn’t paying attention, I nearly ran into his back. He led me to a booth in the corner of the room, the lone anything in the corner. There was only one person sitting in it. He stepped aside and I couldn’t help smiling. Reino slid out of the booth and took both of my hands in his.

“There she is. I thought you might have gotten lost.”

“Nothing like that. I had to do some convincing at the door that I was supposed to be here.”

“Joey gave you problems?”

“Not problems exactly. He just wasn’t quite sure you were here or not.”

“I see.”

He gave a look to the man who brought me to him and the man disappeared. He let go of my hands and gestured to the booth.

“Please, join me, Vivian.”

I sat down and he slid in next to me. He sat very close to me and I wasn’t sure what it meant, but when in Rome, I finally decided. I got my first look around the room. There were plenty of tables along the walls, but Reino had the only booth. There were plenty of people out on the floor dancing. I didn’t know how they kept from hurting each other, but they managed it. He touched the back of my hand, bringing my attention back to him.

“Is this your first time here?”

I looked down at my gloved hands and glanced around the room again. I was the only woman in there with her hands covered. I started pulling the gloves off my fingers to remove them. 

“First time here. First time in a speakeasy. Am I that transparent?”

“The gloves give you away, Vivian.”

“When you said club, this wasn’t what I was expecting.”

I folded the gloves and tucked them into my clutch.

“Is this a bad place for us to be?”

“There are plenty of people around. I’d call this a public place, I guess. I don’t think it’s a bad place for us. Although, I’m sitting in the dark corner with the boss of the club.”

“Is that bad?”

“I’m not sure yet. It’s certainly different for me.”

“I’m sorry. My manners. You look lovely tonight, Vivian. I hope Hayes wasn’t too much of a bore getting you here.”

“No, he most certainly was not a bore. He was actually quite helpful.”

“He has always been helpful to me. I’d like to promote him beyond chauffeur, but he’s very good at it. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to get me from place to place.”

“You don’t drive yourself?”

“I can drive, but I’m usually dealing with other things. It’s more time efficient to have someone else drive me where I need to go.”

I smiled at him and then turned to stare at my hands. He was very relaxed sitting next to me and I felt like Cinderella at the ball in rags. My gown was only a season out of fashion, so it would have been acceptable to wear to a society function. However, it stuck out in a place like this. It wasn’t flashy enough to make me feel like I could fit in. My hairstyle felt woefully dated as well, but I couldn’t picture my wavy chestnut locks cut to my chin.

“I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake in coming here, Reino. I don’t fit in. This crowd is entirely too young for me. Not to mention that you are entirely too young for me. I should go home and sulk. It’s been working for me for a month. It can work for a while longer.”

I tried to slide towards him and make him get up and let me out, but he grabbed my hand. I was shocked how such a simple gesture as a man taking my hand made my heart start fluttering.

“Please stay, Vivian. We don’t worry about age here. I don’t like the sound of you going home to sulk. You’re entirely too beautiful to do something like that. Stay here. I’ll get Samuel over here to get you a drink.”

“I don’t know. This isn’t my scene.”

“But it could be. I see the flapper inside you just dying to have an excuse to get out.”

I lowered my eyes and looked at him through my lashes. His eyes pleaded for me to stay. I scooted back towards the wall putting a little more distance between us. He didn’t release my hand.

“I did say I would spend the evening getting to know you. I wasn’t raised to break my promises.”

“Good.” He nodded at one of the men behind the bar, who quickly came over to us. “The usual for me.”

The man turned his attention to me. I had no idea how to even order a drink.

“What do you suggest, Reino?”

“An Old Fashioned with extra sugar for the lady, please.”

The man nodded and returned to the bar.

“Is that a dig at what I’m wearing or a hint that I’m not sweet enough?”

“Neither of those things. When I said you look lovely tonight, I meant it. You are beautiful and whether you feel old fashioned or not, you are beautiful. As for extra sugar, if you’ve never been to speakeasy, I’m assuming you’ve never had a drink. The extra sweet will help what we call whisky now taste a little better. No insults. I chose a drink that I think that you would like.”

I could feel the blush spreading across my cheeks. 

“I’m sorry. I’m being overly sensitive and I shouldn’t be.”

“It’s okay. I understand what it’s like to feel out of place.”

We then sat in silence waiting for our drink while he continued to hold my hand. As uncomfortable as I was being there, I was very comfortable with him. The silence at the table was broken as a very unsteady on their feet couple fell into the other side of the booth. I heard Reino give a low growl. I couldn’t help my smile.

“Lloyd, Ena, I expect that you’re having a nice evening.”

“Sorry, Reinaldo. We just needed to get off our feet for a bit.”

“Enjoying your last night of fun before the wife returns home from visiting her parents?”

With that statement, my attention was on Lloyd. I wondered if Bernard had met Mabel at a speakeasy. If that was what happened, it must not have been this one or Bernard didn’t know Reino because I would hope he would have remembered the name Buschner if Bernard had been here.

“You don’t need to rub it in that you don’t have a ball and chain waiting for you at home. Although, maybe you have and you brought the misses out with you tonight.”

“She’s certainly dressed like it.”

“Ena, I would thank you to be polite to my guest.”

“She’s too dowdy for you. The hair in a twist instead of a bob? And that gown? Honey, you need to go shopping.”

I looked at Ena’s dress that only had straps instead of sleeves and was so short that it showed her knees. It also looked like it was covered in crystals. It sparkled no matter what angle you looked at it from. I tried to remember that she had been drinking and probably didn’t realize how hurtful she was being, but that didn’t stop what she was saying from hurting my feelings. I felt a tear escape.

“Lloyd, get her out of here before I have her escorted out.”

Lloyd pushed her out of the seat and carried her away. I couldn’t help smiling as he carried her through the crowd like a sack of potatoes on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry about Ena.” He wiped away the tear. “She has a mouth on her and she says whatever is on her mind.”

“She was drunk.”

“She’s worse when she’s sober.”

I started laughing.

“She couldn’t possibly be worse when she’s sober.”

“I assure you that she is. I’m glad I was able to make you laugh.”

“It feels good to laugh. I haven’t done it in so long.”

“Why not?”

I sighed. Before I could answer him, the waiter returned with our drinks. I picked mine up and sniffed it. It didn’t smell like anything I would normally drink, but I took a sip anyway. I didn’t want to make a face, but I know I did.

“That’s different.”

“I imagine you’ve never had anything like it at any of your society parties.”

“Definitely not.”

I took another sip. Maybe it was the alcohol going to my head, but the second sip wasn’t as bad.

“Why haven’t you laughed lately?”

I set my drink down and prepared myself to the evening to come to an end already.

“I haven’t had any reason to laugh. Reino, I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m still married to the man who has been cheating on me for at least a couple of years. He initially wanted a divorce and then a few days later he changed his mind. I’m too old to be a flapper. If you see one in my eyes, it’s a reflection from someone else.”

“So, you’re what, twenty-five?”

“Twenty-seven.”

He shrugged.

“I’m thirty-two and have never been married. In you I see someone who needs and wants to let her hair down. I’d be honored if you’d let me be the one to help you with that.”

I took a big swallow of my drink.

“I think I’d like that.”


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning my eyes shot open and then immediately closed again. My head was pounding and I initially couldn’t remember much of what happened the night before after I finished my drink. I tried slowly opening my eyes and was able to keep them open the second time. I was definitely in my own room. That made me feel better but only marginally so. 

Sitting up was not going to be easy I could already tell. I looked down. I had managed to sleep in my gown. I wasn’t sure it was ever going to be the same again. I rolled over and something crinkled. I rolled back over and picked up the paper. It took a few minutes to get my eyes to focus, but I finally managed it.

Vivian,  
I know how rough a hangover is. When you wake up, I recommend eating before you attempt to take care of the terrible thirst you’re going to have. As per our agreement, I will come for you at noon so we can enjoy lunch together before taking you shopping.

Eternally yours,  
Reino

I read through the note again and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. When did I agree to have lunch and then shop with him? Why did I agree to it? Parts of the previous night came back to me. Ena making fun of my gown and hair. Discovering Reino was older than me and was very interested in me. I didn’t understand why, but he was. After I finished my first drink, he immediately ordered me another one. I had flashes of dancing across the dance floor to a slower tune with him.  


At one point in the evening he disappeared and a short time later a very burly man came an apologized to me for detaining me at the door. Next thing I know I was being escorted back through the restaurant by Reino where Hayes met us with the car. 

The car ride home. My cheeks flushed at the thought of the car ride home. Apparently I was very loving when I got alcohol into me. I tried to keep a respectable distance from Reino, but I couldn’t help myself and flashes of my hands doing whatever they wanted struck me. My cheeks flushed at the thought. He finally tucked me to his side and I rested my head on his chest. I don’t remember what I might have said to him during the ride home, but I’m sure I should be highly embarrassed at my behavior if I did remember. 

I vaguely recalled being carried up the stairs to my apartment where I know I tried to kiss him. I wanted to melt through the floor. I tried to kiss him. I just knew I did. How could I not try? And through it all he remained a gentleman. 

Reino Bianchi was not fitting into the stories the papers printed about gangsters and those running the illegal liquor operations. He was a perfect gentleman the entire evening and didn’t even take advantage of the easy target I made myself. It certainly didn’t hurt my opinion of him and even raised him in it.

I looked at the clock on my bedside table and sat up too fast when I saw it read eleven o’clock. I laid back down and tried sitting up with more intention and found it much easier the second time. I fumbled my way to the bathroom and started a bath running while I went to the kitchen to see what I could find for a quick breakfast. I resisted drinking as many glasses of water as I could as Reino suggested I do. I finally found some bread that had been fresh a few days prior. It wasn’t quite as fresh then.

Getting out of the gown while trying to get some food into my stomach wasn’t as easy as it sounded in my head. I eventually had to be satisfied trying to chew on a hunk of bread that would fit in my mouth while I worked to get out of the gown. How I managed to not choke myself was a mystery. I finally got the material peeled from my body allowing me to slip into the tub. 

I desperately wanted to sit and soak for a while, but when you’re running very short on time, a soak can’t happen. I worked to scrub the imagined or real, I couldn’t tell, grime from my body when I pulled my mass of hair over my shoulder. I had always been taught that woman’s hair is her crowning glory, but I wondered what it would be like to not have the weight of it on my head. I hoped it would help with the headaches, if I would gather the courage to bob it or cut it into any one of the short styles I saw every woman wearing last night. 

After I decided I was as clean as I could get with a schedule to keep, I toweled off and found a simple day dress in the discarded clothes I had gone through the night before. It was light blue with a drop waist, long sleeves and fell to just below my knees. I put on my shortest strand of pearls on with it. 

I only had my hair to worry about next. If I wasn’t sure that I had no idea what I was doing, I’d find a pair of sewing scissors and cut my hair off myself. Since I wanted to look presentable on Reino’s arm, I dropped that thought and put my hair up in a simple twist again. It was the one style I knew I could do myself well enough to keep it from falling.

As I placed the last pin, the buzzer buzzed. I slipped into the same shoes I had worn the night before since they were close. I hadn’t packed a purse.  
I opened the door, making sure to keep it cracked. I went down to the door and opened it. Reino smiled at me and my heart skipped a beat.

“Ready to go?”

“I can’t find my clutch.”

“Check under your bed.”

“Under my bed. Thanks. I’ll be right back down.”

“Take your time.”

I ran back to my apartment and found the clutch hiding under my bed just as Reino said it would be found. I didn’t remember dropping it or placing it there. I’m sure there was a reason, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it. I was embarrassed enough about the entire evening.

I stopped at the door to my apartment to take a deep breath before doing a mental inventory of everything I should have had with me. I seemed to have everything.  


When I got back downstairs, Hayes was standing next to the car, waiting to help us into it. Reino stood by the door waiting for me. I couldn’t help the smile at seeing him. He reached out his hand to me. I took it and he escorted me to the car. Once we were settled, Hayes got into the driver’s seat and we were off.

“Reino, I want to apologize for anything unladylike I might have done last night. Things come back to me in flashes and I am so embarrassed at my behavior.”

He started laughing.

“If that was unladylike behavior, I wonder what I should call all the other women who have done whatever they could to get me to stay with them.”

“Did you?” I slapped my hands over my mouth. “I’m sorry. That really isn’t any of my business.”

He smoothed a stray curl away from my face and tucked it behind my ear.

“No, I never stayed. I always found a reason to leave. I would never want gossip traveling about my taking advantage of young women after an evening of drinking. I am a gentleman.”

“A gentleman who can make men three times his size quake in their shoes.”

“Joey deserved that. I told him when I came in that a beautiful woman would be using my special password to spend an evening with me. He just forgets things too easily.”

My jaw dropped open and I just stared at him.

“You think I’m beautiful?”

He gently rubbed his thumb across my cheekbone. 

“Amazingly beautiful.”

I lowered my eyes and looked at him through my eyelashes in what I hoped wasn’t too bold a move for me.

“You know, I have never been biting to anyone. I don’t know what made me stand up for myself to him, especially when I still wasn’t completely sure I was going to be able to spend any time in a speakeasy.”

“You must have decided you were able to do so. You appeared to have a good time last night.”

“I had a very good time last night, Reino. I really did. With everything being printed in the papers about how unsafe the illegal liquor scene is, I wasn’t sure it was safe. Hayes assured me I would be perfectly fine with you and he was right. I’m sorry if my momentary doubt upsets you.”

“It doesn’t upset me at all. I’m sorry I was so coy about where we were meeting.”

“Where are we going for lunch?”

“A very nice, quiet cafe not too far from where we met.”

I started chewing on my nails, a nasty habit I had picked up again.

“Is it safe for you to eat out in public?”

Even Hayes laughed at that one. 

“It’s a family establishment. I assure you that I’m quite safe there. More importantly you’ll be safe there with me.”

“Good to know. And then your note said shopping.”

“If you’d like. You mentioned last night you’d like to update your wardrobe, I believe were the words you used. Anything else?”

“I don’t want to monopolize your time with my silliness.”

“You monopolize it to your heart’s content. Spending the day with you is much better than what I had planned to do today before I met you.”

“What had you planned to do today?”

“Sit at home and twiddle my thumbs.”

“That sounds like an exciting day.”

“It is. It really is. You have no idea.”

“It might sound like more fun than buying makeup and watching me get my hair cut.”

“Cut your hair? Are you sure?” He pulled the curl he had tucked behind my ear back out and was winding it around his fingers. “I’ve always liked how graceful a woman’s neck looks when she puts her hair up in an elaborate updo.”

“You don’t think I should cut it and fit in with all the other women?”

“If it’s what you want, by all means, but don’t do it to be like everyone else. There’s something different about you, Vivian, and while I know deep down you want the fun you were denied in your youth, you don’t need to follow trends. You should create them.”

“Yes. I’m the fashion plate that all other women are going to look to for new trends,” I replied with an eye roll.

“They will be if you’ll let them.”

He looked so relaxed and serious. I realized that he was quite serious about me becoming a trend setter. No one paid any attention to me even when I was a part of  
the high society scene.

“What are you getting at, Reino? How on earth could I become someone everyone else wants to dress like?”

“Simple, be seen out about town with me. Before long you’ll see women dressing as you dress.”

My jaw fell open and no amount of coercion from me would make it close.

“You want to spend even more time with me? Why?”

“I like you, Vivian. You don’t flatter my ego because you want something from me. You want nothing more than to spend time to me. Yes, you’ve admitted you’ve never had much of a social life outside your society friends who have now shunned you, but you aren’t with me to further any grand plan you have. Maybe you are, but it’s not obvious to me that’s what you’re doing. It’s nice to spend time with someone who has, well had, no idea who I am beyond a very nice young man she was introduced to at church.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“How about something along the lines of let’s go have lunch and then go shopping and see what happens from there?”

“I say let’s go with that then.”

“Hayes, to the cafe now.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We haven’t been on our way there the whole time?”

“No, Hayes has been driving to give us time to talk. He’s good that way.”

“Apparently.”

He patted the seat right next to him and gave me his winning smile. I realized that I was sitting nearly an arms length away from him. I tentatively scooted over next to him. He put his left arm around my shoulders and tucked me next to him as he did on the ride home earlier that morning. I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed.

“Something wrong?”

“No. There is nothing wrong. Everything is absolutely perfect.”

Because it was.


	6. Chapter 6

“Won’t watching someone put make up put on me be boring for you?”

Reino took my hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. I didn’t know how he did it, but such a simple gesture made my toes curl.

“As long as I’m with you, nothing could be considered boring.”

“Where to, Mr. Bianchi?”

I looked around. We had been sitting in the backseat for a few minutes discussing where else to shop. I wanted make up to go with the new me he seemed to think would be creating fashion trends, but I didn’t want him to be bored.

“We haven’t moved at all from where we parked to shop?”

“Not until I tell Hayes were we want to go. If you want make up, you shall have it. To Mildred’s Boutique, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hayes eased the car into traffic and Reino tucked me under his arm as he had done every time we got into the car that day. As a debutant I should have felt that it was a little too familiar for someone I hardly knew to be treating me so intimately. Since I no longer considered myself a debutant, I didn’t mind him taking simple liberties with me.

“Mildred’s is too chic for me. I’ll walk in and they’ll laugh me right out of the boutique.”

“I promise they will do no such thing. Mama and my sisters all shop there. They will take care of you as they do all their customers. Will you let me pay for this part of your shopping?”

“I don’t understand why you want to spoil me so much? We hardly know each other.”

“I know enough to know that I want to spoil you. You don’t mind that, do you?”

“No, I don’t mind, but surely there are better uses for your money than buying me a bunch of frivolous things I don’t need.”

“Do you want them?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Then they aren’t frivolous. If you want it, you shall have it.”

“You are going to ruin me for anyone else.”

“Considering my plan is to keep you all to myself, that isn’t a bad thing.”

I opened my mouth to make a smart remark back only to realize that he was more or less telling me that he was planning on keeping me around for as long as I wanted to stay around. Was I a married woman with a boyfriend? I was beginning to think that I had reached that level.

Hayes stopped the car and immediately moved to let us out of the backseat. Reino stepped out and held out his hand to help me out of the car. I stared at the store front. I couldn’t believe that I was about to step into Mildred’s to shop for make up. 

“Are you sure I’m fit for Mildred’s? I’m not fashionable enough.”

“Based on all the boxes currently in the trunk, I think you’re going to plenty fashionable. This is one more step towards reclaiming your life.”

“You’re right. I need to reclaim my life. This is only the beginning.”

“Good. Here we go.”

He took my hand and opened the door for us. We were immediately greeted.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Bianchi. Are you accompanying your mama out for some shopping?”

“Not today, Mildred. Today I aim to see that Miss Vivian leaves with a full compliment of make up. Whatever she wants, she gets.”

Mildred looked me up and down hard. I felt like she was looking at my insides. She finally smiled at me.

“I’ll have Corrine help you. You are young enough to wear her particular style of make up. Corrine!”

A young, blond woman who couldn’t have been twenty appeared from behind a rack of clothes.

“Yes, Miss Mildred.”

“I want you to help Mr. Bianchi’s lady friend walk out of here looking like a flapper worthy of being on his arm.”

“Yes, Miss Mildred.” She turned to me. “Come with me, please.”

We followed her without question. She motioned to a stool sitting next to a counter displaying their many selections in their make up department. I sat down at the counter while Reino sat down in a chair that appeared to be meant for the man who was stuck make up shopping with his girlfriend. She stepped behind the counter and smiled at me.

“Have you ever worn make up before?”

“No. I haven’t.”

“Any idea what kind of colors you’d like to wear?”

“I have choices on colors?”

She laughed.

“Yes, you have choices. Before we get started we’ll apply some powder.”

“Why?”

“To help even out your complexion. Then we’ll add some rouge to accentuate your cheekbones. After that we’ll move on to your eyes.”

“What about my eyes?”

“Oh honey, your eyes should stand out and not blend into your face.”

“I think I’m out of my league here.”

“You’ll do fine, Vivian. Let Corrine guide you and I promise you won’t regret it.”

“My face is in your hands, Corrine.”

“Good. Let’s get going.”

She pulled out a compact, opened it and started brushing what was in the compact on my face. Since she mentioned powder, I assume that was the powder for evening out my complexion. I have never realized it was uneven and needed to be evened out, but if that was how I was supposed to wear it, I would go along with it. Next she pulled out a pot and opened it. My eyes about popped out of my head. 

“I don’t think that dark a red is going to right for me.”

“Going this dark on your cheeks will make the rest of you look a little pale.”

“Is that what I want?”

“To a point. Want to try the red one?”

“Do you have something lighter?”

“I do. We’ll start slow. You might get up to a darker rouge eventually.” She put the red one back and pulled out one more to my liking. “How about we try a rose on you first time out?”

“I think that will be more acceptable and less shocking.”

She nodded and smiled at me. She dabbed her finger into the rouge pot and started applying it to my cheeks. There was a mirror sitting on the counter, but it was hard to watch what she was doing and hold my head where she could apply everything. 

“There. What do you think?”

I looked at my reflection. So far the only differences were blotting out all color on my face and then adding a little color back in. It didn’t look horrible. That was a start.

“I think I like it. How did you apply it? I’m afraid that I’m going to make a mess when I try this by myself.”

“I applied a little to my finger and then make dots up your cheekbone until you reach your hairline. Then you use your fingers to blend it until it looks how you want it to look.”

“I think I can handle that. What are we going to do with my eyes?”

“We have several colors to choose from.” She pulled out the sample with the eye colors and showed them to me. “What color feels most like you?”

“I think grey. It should decently match everything I’ve bought today.”

“I think the grey will go with your eyes. I think it also looks best with the kohl.”

“Kohl?”

“It’s black that will make your eyes really stand out. Trust me.”

“I guess.”

She pulled out a brush and began applying gray to my eyelids. When she was done, I reached for the mirror, but she stopped me.

“Let me finish your eyes before you look so you can see what it all looks like together. If I show you after each thing I apply, you won’t like it.”

“Proceed. If I’m going to do this, I might as well do it right.”

I sat stock still while she drew on my eyelids and then coated my lashes with the mascara. It was hard not to blink when I saw her coming at me with that stick. She grabbed the mirror when she finished and let me look at myself finally.

“Oh my.”

“Now for the lips.”

Corrine pulled out a tube, but wouldn’t let me see the color until she had it smeared on my lips. Reino had remained quiet the entire time. He made a face as she painted my lips. I guessed he didn’t care for it, but I was going to reserve judgement until I saw for myself. She set the mirror back in front of me again.

“What do you think?”

I stared at my reflection waiting for it to answer her. It didn’t. I just stared at me with large eyes and bright red lips. Red lips. I couldn’t believe she tried red on me after I refused to put red on my cheeks.

“I don’t think I like it.”

“The lips or something else?”

“Definitely the lips.”

“Oh honey, this color is the bees knees with the utterly ut in the flapper world, even those who wear subdued colors on their cheeks.”

“She doesn’t like it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Corrine handed me a tissue to try to get it off my lips. Although I waited until I saw what I looked like before deciding whether Reino was right or not, I was happy that I agreed with him on my lips. Getting the lipstick off with the tissue worked, kinda.

“Do you have anything that maybe isn’t so bold?”

“Why wear it if you don’t want it bold?”

“Baby steps, Corrine. I need to take baby steps. You have me sold on everything else, especially since you agreed with me on my cheeks. However, I’d like to have a color on my lips that doesn’t make me look like I’ve been kissing a bloody body.”

Her eyes grew wide as Reino started outright laughing from his chair. I looked over at him. I couldn’t tell if he was laughing at what I said or if something in the magazine he was reading or pretending to read, I couldn’t tell. Corrine started looking through the tubes and found one that made her smile.

“Let’s see if this one is easier for you.”

She started smearing again. I hated that I couldn’t watch her put it on me. I was fairly certain I’d never be able to put this stuff on by myself. She stepped back and smiled. I looked at Reino. He was flashing one of his brilliant smiles again. She moved the mirror back in front of me and I nearly fell off the stool.

“Is that me?”

“Honey, if it isn’t you, you might be in trouble.”

She found a delicate pink for my lips that complimented the color on my cheeks better, I felt. Reino’s reflection appeared over my shoulder.

“What do you think, Vivian?”

“I like it. I never knew I could be this pretty.”

“You are beautiful. This just accentuates how beautiful you are. This stuff doesn’t help if the natural beauty isn’t there.”

“I still can’t believe you think I’m beautiful.”

“Since the first second I laid eyes on you.”

I was blushing to my roots. I wondered how much the make up covered it up or if I looked as ridiculous as I normally looked when I blushed.

“Thank you, Reino. I’m not used to such compliments.”

“That is a shame because you deserve every single one. Now, are you going to let me pay for this since you haven’t let me spoil you today as I planned to do?”

“I feel strange letting you buy me make up, but if you really want to buy it, I won’t say no.”

“We’ll take the whole mess then, please.”

Corrine hustled around pulling out new compacts and pots of color while writing down on the sales ticket what she was selling and how much everything was.

“I shouldn’t let you buy me anything, but thank you. For the first time in my life I feel like the Queen of Sheba.”

“We’re going to have to make sure you feel that way more often. Why have you been insisting that the bills for the trunk full of new clothes and shoes get sent to Bernard? I would have been more than happy to pay for everything.”

“I know, but I want him to know that although I’ve been quiet for the past month, I haven’t crawled into a hole over what he’s done to me. I’m rejoining the world and he can pay for it.”

“He won’t blow a gasket and try to hurt you over it, will he?”

“If he tries to, I will insist he finally grant the divorce so I can move on with my life and he can move on with his.”

Corrine appeared with a bag and the ticket.

“I assume you’ll want to charge this, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Right you are,” he replied and signed the ticket without taking his eyes off me.

I couldn’t figure out whether I was flattered at the attention or whether it made me uncomfortable. Even when Bernard had been courting me, he never paid me as much attention to me as Reino had in even the past five minutes. I finally decided it was different, but I liked it. I lowered my eyes while he signed the ticket. When I looked back up he was still staring at me.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make me feel wanted and necessary in your life.”

“You’ve never felt wanted?”

“Only by my parents, but they aren’t here anymore to spoil me as they once did.”

“What about Bernard?”

“He only ever wanted my parents’ money and access to our family name to make him feel respected. I’m not stupid, but I did imagine he’d look at me like my father looked at my mother eventually. Boy was I ever wrong.”

“Don’t think about him. He shouldn’t ruin your day, ever.” He stepped back and looked me up and down. “I know what will make you feel better.”

“What?”

“Ice cream.”

“Don’t tease me, Reino.”

He took my hand in one hand and the bag in his other hand and pulled me off the stool at the make up counter. He wasn’t running, but I had to nearly run to keep up with him.

“Where are we going?”

“To one of the best kept secrets in St Louis.”

I shook my head and concentrated on keeping up with him. My diligence paid off when he finally stopped in front of a very nondescript building. It looked like a factory and not some place he should want to take me. He stepped through a door, pulling me with him. I couldn’t contain my gasp of surprise. It wasn’t very big, but it was indeed an ice cream parlor. Faces looked up from the cones they were enjoying to stare at us. As soon as they got a good look, everyone turned back to their ice cream and whomever was sitting across from them.

“What flavor would you like?”

The most dreaded question in the world had just been asked of me. Who can pick their favorite flavor of ice cream? 

“I can never decide.”

“The lady will have a scoop of each. I’d like my usual, Alberto.”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi.”

“You come here enough that you have a usual?”

“I have a usual everywhere I go.”

Feeling there was nothing else to say, I looked around the room. It took me a moment to realize it, but the room was full of men in dark suits and fedoras with women who had faces painted much brighter than mine wearing similar versions of the same day dress in varying pastel shades. At least Reino and I didn’t look out of place. Alberto handed me a bowl with three giant scoops of ice cream in it. He then handed Reino a bowl with four scoops of chocolate smothered in chocolate sauce in it.

“Oh my goodness. That looks delicious, Reino.”

“Would you like chocolate sauce on your ice cream, Miss?”

I looked at Reino. He gave me a small nod. I handed the bowl back to Alberto.

“Yes, please.”

He carefully drizzled chocolate over all three scoops, making sure there was plenty to be enjoyed. He handed it back to me. Reino handed him cash and we sat down to enjoy. I couldn’t help licking my lips in anticipation of enjoying such a rich treat. I didn’t know where to start.

“Well, dig in before it melts.”

“I’m going to, but I don’t know where to start. Vanilla first or the chocolate? What about the strawberry? I just can’t decide which sounds better.”

“You’ll have to make up your mind soon or it’s going to melt and you’ll have to slurp up ice cream soup.”

“You’re right. Here I go.” I held my spoon over the bowl, closed my eyes and let my spoon fall where it may. I opened my eyes and found it stuck in the chocolate. I scooped up what I hoped looked like a dainty bite and tasted it. “This is amazing, Reino. Ice cream in general is good, but this is beyond good. How do you know about this place?”

Reino stopped mid-bite and moved his eyes to look around the room.

“It’s not exactly a secret among people I know.”

I felt my face flushing again. I had noticed the suits. 

“Sorry. I’m not sure we should be spending so much time together. I don’t think I fit into your world.”

“You fit into my world just fine. Why would you think that we shouldn’t spend time together?”

“What if,” I lowered my voice so only he could hear me, “what if it would get out that you’re courting a married woman? Won’t that hurt your reputation?”

“Among my close friends, it would probably raise their opinion of me. They all know how softhearted I really am. My acquaintances won’t care. It’s all about perception with them. As long as I have a gorgeous woman on my arm, they could care less about who you are. It would help their opinion if you really were the Queen of Sheba, but I’ll treat you as if you are.”

He had done it again. In one breath he made me beautiful and wanted. 

“I don’t understand you, Reino Bianchi.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Not necessarily.”

I ate a few more bites of ice cream and set my spoon down.

“Are you done?”

“I think I am. If I eat much more I’m going to get sick. I haven’t exactly been eating the rich foods I’m used to lately and so they don’t sit well with me, I’m discovering.”

“Do we need to take you home?”

“Finish your ice cream. I can’t imagine this was cheap and I don’t want to force you to not eat what you enjoy.”

“I don’t care about the ice cream and I certainly don’t care about the money. All I care about is you. Do I need to take you home?”

“As long as I don’t try to finish my bowl of ice cream, I will be fine. Besides, I’m sure you want to be with me when I decide what I’m going to do with my hair.”

“Still thinking about cutting it?”

“Thinking about it, but I’m still not sure.”

“Then wait.”

“Why?”

He found that one curl that wouldn’t stay up in the twist.

“Because once you cut it, you can’t glue it back on. If you’d like to cut some of the length off it because it’s getting to be too heavy, do that, but don’t go for a short cut because that’s what you think you should want to do with it.”

“How’d you get to be so wise about women’s hair?”

“It’s a gift.”

“Any suggestions on where to go to get some of this length cut off and maybe how I can style it so it looks more modern?”

“I know just the place.” He got up and let his half-eaten bowl of ice cream sitting. He held his hand out to me. “Ready?”

“You can’t just leave that sitting there.”

“Yes, I can because we have to hurry if we want to catch Shirley before she closes up for the day.”

I took his hand and let him lead me out of the shop again. We crawled into the car and Hayes was waiting for us. Reino pulled me to his side as he had done every time we got back into the car as we went about our shopping. 

“Where to, Mr. Bianchi?”

“My girl wants to top off her new look with a new hairstyle. You know where to take us.”

“Yes, sir.” He pulled away from the curb. “And if it isn’t too bold of me to say so, you handle your new look very well, Miss Vivian.”

I felt the heat in my cheeks and Reino laughed at me.

“Thank you, Hayes.”

“You’re going to have to get used to the compliments, Viv. I’m almost afraid to invite you to join me at Bordeaux tonight out of fear that someone else will take a liking to you and whisk you away from me.”

I felt the blush spreading again. I hated acting like I was still a debutant who knew nothing about the real world, but that’s exactly what I felt like. If Bernard hadn’t set it up so he paid my rent and all my other utilities, I had no idea how I would have survived after the separation. 

“What’s Bordeaux?”

“That would be the name of the place you met me at last night.”

“Oh, Reino, I’m not sure I can party like that two nights in a row. I hope that doesn’t upset you.”

He took my hand and placed feather light kisses over the back of it before kissing my fingertips.

“It only upsets me because it deprives me of your presence. I understand that you aren’t used to this lifestyle yet. I hope you’ll become accustomed enough to spend an evening or three a week with me. If not at Bordeaux, maybe at one of my other clubs.”

“You have other speakeasies in town?”

“I do, but I need to be at the Bordeaux tonight. I have business that needs to be discussed.”

“Oh, then I probably shouldn’t agree to meet you tonight so you can take care of your business.”

“Nonsense. You can meet the band or something while I meet with my associates. If you want to stay at home tonight I won’t complain about that either.”

“It depends. When do you think Bernard will receive the bills for my shopping spree?”

“He will probably receive them this evening. I can arrange for them to arrive sooner or later, if you need that.”

“No, tonight will be fine. I need to get a good night of sleep tonight because he will probably come by on his way to work to discuss those bills. He isn’t going to like them at all.”

“I don’t want you to meet with him alone.”

“I’m not worried about him hurting me, Reino. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m worried about him hurting you. I just found you. I won’t let some meathead who won’t free you to live your life hurt you.”

“I will be fine.”

“I don’t care. When I get done with my business, I’m coming to your apartment.”

“Why?”

“I want to be there when Bernard shows up. I won’t forgive myself if he would hurt you and I wasn’t there to protect you.”

“Fine. I don’t think he’s any danger to me, but it would be nice to have someone there to intimidate him. I certainly don’t scare him.”

“Thank you.”

Hayes stopped the car. He then got out and opened the door for us, as was getting to be the routine. Reino got out and then helped me out of the car.

“Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning I found myself tiptoeing around my apartment to make myself a little something for breakfast. I wanted to make a pot of tea, but I was sure I’d be entirely too loud doing so. I settled for some bread and a glass of water. I was trying to return to my room while letting Reino sleep.

“Even first thing in the morning you look beautiful, Vivian.”

I turned towards where he had spread himself out on my sofa.

“I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t wake me. Your sofa isn’t very comfortable.”

“I’m sorry. It’s what Bernard picked out, I’m guessing because he got it for next to nothing.”

“Maybe today we should go shopping for new furniture.” He sat up and stretched. “Where is the bathroom?”

“The only one in the apartment is in my bedroom. You’re welcome to go on in. Now that you’re awake I’ll work to get us some breakfast. How do you like your eggs?”  
He got up and kissed me on the cheek.

“Scrambled.”

It took every ounce of strength I had to not follow him in there and insist he act on every fantasy in my head when I went to sleep. Instead I managed to return to the kitchen and look in the ice box. I asked him about eggs and discovered that I didn’t have any. This wasn’t going to look good for me. I couldn’t show off my prowess in the kitchen, limited as it was, to Reino. My heart sank as I closed the door.

“Problems?”

Reino stood in the doorway to my little kitchen looking even more handsome than usual. I knew that being smoothed faced was the perfect ideal for men, but I found the little bit of beard he hadn’t been able to shave off yet incredibly sexy. He came over to stand next to me.

“Bernard has my groceries delivered on Mondays and I wasn’t home yesterday. I have no decent food in my house.”

Before I could stop myself I reached out to touch his cheek. He took my hand and pulled it away from his face.

“That can’t feel pleasant.”

“It feels fine and looks sexy. I can’t help but want to touch it.”

“Really? Well, in that case.” He set my hand back against his cheek and smiled at me.

I lost track of how long we stood like that. I giggled as I imagined it would tickle to be kissed with his facial hair like that.

“Definitely nice.”

He opened his mouth to talk when my buzzer sounded.

“Bernard?”

“Either that or my grocery delivery.”

I walked to the front door and opened it.

“Bernard.”

“Do you want me to stay out here or should I go to your bedroom and only appear if he sounds like he’s going to get violent?”

I had been prepared to have him intervene only if needed, but I changed my mind.

“I want you here with me.”

“Even though with you still in your nightgown and robe it looks like we spent the night together?”

“Yes. He’s living with his pregnant mistress. I’m fairly certain nothing I can do would ever be seen as more cheating than that.”

He kissed my cheek and sat down on the sofa to wait. I went to the front door and let Bernard into the building. He didn’t acknowledge me. He brushed past me and stomped up to my apartment. His dark eyes looked like he hadn’t slept and his nostrils were flaring. I’d only seen him this angry a couple of times and I had been glad I wasn’t the target of his anger then. I was now. He threw the stack of bills down on the coffee table and turned to me, but stopped when he noticed Reino sitting on the sofa. At first he glared at him and then all the color drained from his face.

“Bianchi.”

“Yes, Reinaldo Bianchi. Please, don’t let me interfere with your tirade against this lovely creature you still get to call wife.”

He turned to me, but some of the fire was gone. He looked back and forth between Reino and me.

“So now that you’re dating a gangster you’ve become a loose woman?”

“You want to talk about loose morals, Bernard? You kicked me out of our home and moved in your pregnant mistress and then lied to all our friends about it. I have a long ways to fall before I sink to your level of loose morals. Besides, your anger is over me updating my closet yesterday. Let’s stick to facts, please.”

“Fine. Use that account I set up for you to pay for all of this.”

“No. You are going to pay for all of this because that account has been used somewhere else,” I lied.

“I can’t afford this, Vivian.”

“Tell Mabel she doesn’t get a new dress or car this month and you’ll be fine. Now, I’d like for you to leave. Oh, and you should take these with you. These people will be expecting payment from you.”

I picked up the stack of bills and handed them to him. He took them and tucked them into his jacket pocket.

“You’re not to go on another shopping trip without permission from me. Is that understood?”

I opened my mouth to object, but that was apparently the last straw Reino could take. He jumped to his feet, grabbed Bernard’s lapels and got in his face.

“Until you are kind enough to grant her a divorce, she is going to do whatever her heart desires and you’re going to pay for it. Any thoughts to the contrary will be met with intense resistance. Is that understood?” Bernard shook his head yes. It was fun for me to see the bully being bullied. “Now, you need to leave and never come over here unannounced again. You never know what you’re going to interrupt.”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Good. Now, let me show you outside.”

Reino kept one hand on Bernard’s lapel and drug him behind him as he left the apartment. I stood in the doorway and watched Reino escorting Bernard down the stairs. I saw a flash of the intimidating man Reino could be and I was glad he was currently on my side. I couldn’t go down and watch him actually throw the bum outside, but I really wanted to do so. Instead I went back into my apartment, leaving the door cracked so Reino could get back inside, and decided to get dressed. We couldn’t stay in my apartment for breakfast since I had no food.

I started going through my new dresses. I wanted to wear all of them right then and there. Granted, a few of the dresses I bought to wear when I put in appearances with Reino at the Bordeaux, but I still couldn’t wait to wear them. I finally chose a dress that wasn’t too far off from what I had worn the day before. The blue dress had been one solid color and rather boring. This one had the same low waist with long sleeves, since it was still a little cold outside. The top had a small floral design on it while the skirt was a solid green. My new shoes were the best part. I had green, blue and brown Mary Janes for my daytime dresses. I had a simple black pair and a black pair with crystals on them for my partying dresses, as Reino called them. I slipped my robe off and went to take my nightgown off when I heard a voice behind me.

“You know, it’s very dangerous for a beautiful woman to leave her apartment door cracked open and then decide to get dressed.”

I knew I should have been trying to cover myself back up with my robe, but I found myself not caring how much of me he saw.

“We need to go somewhere to get breakfast. I was trying to hurry the process along.”

“Why don’t you continue and I’ll be a gentleman and wait in the living room.”

“If that’s how you’d like to do this, I find that acceptable.”

“Good.”

He gave me a kiss on my nose before leaving my bedroom and closing the door. Since I didn’t go to the Bordeaux with him, I didn’t smell like smoke and found it unnecessary to take time for a bath. I put the dress on and then draped a towel over me to protect my new dress while I styled my hair into the low chignon with finger waves as Shirley taught me to do. It looked like I bobbed it without having too much cut off. I thought I’d probably end up really cutting it all off, but it was nice to be able to see if I liked it first.

With my hair done, it was time for make up. I wished I had been able to watch Corrine apply it. Since I didn’t get to do that, I tried to remember what colors went where. First a touch of grey to the eyelids. I didn’t apply it as dark as she had, but I put enough on to know that it was there. Next the kohl around the eyes. After she applied the stick, she used her finger to smudge it. When I got done, it looked more or less how it had yesterday. Before applying mascara, I pulled out the powder compact and applied a light layer to my face before applying just a touch of rouge to my cheeks. I hoped it made me not look so sickly. Once all that was on, I finally applied the mascara. I didn’t do as elegant a job as Corrine had done, but it looked okay. I took the towel off me and went back to my bedroom.

I had also bought new stockings and garters. I felt a little scandalous rolling the stockings on and putting my garters on to keep them up. It felt weird. I slipped into the green shoes and decided I was ready. I stepped out into the living room and did a spin.

“Did I get everything on okay?”

Reino looked me up and down. I wondered if he was remembering me half dressed.

“Mostly. You forgot your lips. And this.”

He pulled out a hat box. I knew he hadn’t had it when he came in in the middle of the night. He must have left it with Hayes. I just stared at the box. He had to nudge me with it a few times before I finally put my hands out to take it from him.

“I should go put my lips on.”

“Open the box first, please.”

“Reino, I can’t let you go buy me things.” I opened the lid of the hat box and let out a gasp. “Even if they are amazingly beautiful hats. I do not remember seeing anything like this yesterday. Where did you find it?”

“After she met you, I asked Shirley to help me find a hat for you. I tried to remember the main colors of clothes you bought, but she asked about shoes. She thought this should match nearly everything. There are also some fancy headbands, as she called them, in the bottom to go with your evening dresses.”

I picked up the hat and looked in the bottom. Sure enough there was a feathery headband and beaded one sitting there.

“It’s too much, Reino. I don’t think I’m a good person to have in your life. You need someone young and beautiful and full of life to be on your arm.”

The box was out of my hands and his arms were around me before I realized anything had even changed. My life was too complicated to have another person in it, even if that other person was a supposed gangster, but all that was forgotten with him standing so close to me. How did he manage to do that to me? To make me forget all my troubles?

“I have someone like that. Now if you’re done being silly, go put your lips on so we can see how that beautiful hat looks on you.”

I nodded and reluctantly turned to return to my bathroom to apply my lipstick. Once that was done, I took the tube with me. I didn’t know what he had planned for the day, but if I left with him that morning, I might not be back until the evening again. A girl needs to be prepared.

I checked the color of the hat against my new shoes. It was mostly brown, in the cloche style, with an upturned brim. The brim was blue, the same exact shade as the shoes and the band on it was green. It was almost like Shirley had gone shopping with us. I went in to the bathroom to put the hat on. It was a tight fit, but it looked good. I suddenly wondered if I should bring the pomade with me to fix my hair. I grabbed it too, just in case, before making my grand entrance again.

“Shirley has excellent taste.”

“She most definitely does. It almost looks like she went shopping with us.”

“That it does.” He took a slow walk around me. I felt like a well decorated pastry just before being devoured. “I’m not sure I want to share you with the public today. Unless we want to starve, I know I must do so.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have food here.”

“It’s fine, Vivian. We’ll go back to the cafe. They have the best pancakes.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

I grabbed my clutch, shoved the lipstick tube and pomade pot into it and let Reino pull me out of the apartment.

Hayes was in his usual spot waiting for us with the door open. Reino helped me into the backseat before crawling in next to me. Hayes shut the door and got into the driver’s seat.

“Where to, Mr. Bianchi?”

“The cafe, please.”

He nodded and eased the car into traffic.

I was snuggled up to Reino’s side as I had been every time we got into the care lately. Reino was tense.

“Is everything okay?”

“Vivian, I have to tell you something, but I don’t want you to interrupt me until I’m done.”

“Okay. Have I done something wrong?”

He chuckled and hugged me to him.

“Of course not. It’s about Bernard.”

“I don’t want to talk about him right now. He gives me a headache.”

“This you need to hear. He won’t divorce you because he needs your money to live. Mommy and Daddy cut off his cash flow and he doesn’t make much doing whatever it is he does.”

“He’s been gracing me with my own money and acting like he’s giving me charity? I want to rip his arms out and beat him with the bloody stumps!”

“Shhhhh, let’s calm down. Here’s my thought. Why can’t you file for divorce? Why does him wanting or not wanting a divorce stop you from filing?”

“Then I’ll be a divorced woman and who would want me then?”

“Well, how about the guy sitting next to you? He thinks you’re amazing, divorced or not.”

I hugged him.

“I”m sorry, Reino. I’m thinking like a debutant again. I don’t mean to be insulting. Even if I file, he can still say no.”

“No, he can’t.”

“Yes, he can. He told me so.”

“No, he can’t.”

“How?”

“Let’s just say that I know a judge who will insist he at least hear the argument as to why you want a divorce.”

“Great, but at the end of it, he’s going to go off scott free to live with his hussy using my money while I sit in my apartment wishing I had my family money back.”

“Do you trust me?”

“You slept in my apartment last night and I didn’t worry that you’d try something ungentlemanly. Yes, I trust you. Why?”

“Just trust me with this.”

“I will.” I settled back into his arms until something bugged me. “How did you find out all of this from him?”

“We had a gentleman’s discussion where I threatened him with broken bones if he didn’t start treating you better and grant you a divorce. Apparently I look like a priest because he made a confession to me about the money.”

“I only have one thing to say about it.”

“And what’s that?”

“When do we start?”

“That’s what I hoped you’d say. We’ll go see Judge Thomas after brunch.”

“If he isn’t at the cafe himself.”

Reino looked at Hayes.

“It is Tuesday. He may very well be there. We could file papers by this afternoon and have you a single woman again by the end of the week.”

“That is the best news I’ve heard so far today. Thank you, Reino, for helping me get my life back.”

“It is my pleasure, Vivian. It is my complete pleasure.”

We arrived at the cafe as low key as we had the day before. As soon as we stepped through the door, we were whisked to a booth in the back again. We sat on the same side of the booth which we hadn’t done the day before. 

“Millicent will be right with you, Mr. Bianchi, Miss.”

“Thank you, Fred. Can you inform Judge Thomas that I have urgent business for him and I’d like to see him at his earliest convenience, please?”

“My pleasure, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Again, thank you.”

Fred bowed and walked away like a man with a purpose. I opened my mouth to ask Reino a question when a perky blond, who had not waited on us the day before, bounced up to our table.

“Good morning, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Good morning. Two coffees and two waters, please. We need a few more minutes to decide on food.”

“I’ll be right back with those.”

“They have the best pancakes here.”

“So you’ve said repeatedly. Is something wrong, Reino?”

“I don’t like you being overlooked because someone who wants to make a name for herself wants to make eyes at me.”

“Don’t be upset. I didn’t notice. Focus on me and treat her like you did Paul yesterday.”

“I’m sorry, Vivian. Bernard’s confession really upset me. I don’t like him taking advantage of you.”

“I’m not overly thrilled either, but we have a plan to fix it. I’m happier today than I was yesterday because of having a plan.”

He took my hand.

“You worry about fitting into my world, but I think that having you around will help me keep my head about me. You have the ability to make me see when I’m being an unreasonable jerk.”

“I’m glad you feel I’m an asset in keeping you calm.”

He kissed the back of my hand.

“You are so much more than an asset to me.”

An older gentleman slipped into the seat across from us.

“Am I interrupting?”

“Judge Thomas, not at all. Hiram Thomas, may I introduce you to Mrs. Vivian Buschner.”

“Mrs. I take it that is the urgent business you need to discuss with me.”

“It is. How soon can we get her divorced from her lout of a husband?’

“Is that what you want, Vivian?”

“More than anything else, Sir.”

“Call me Hiram, Vivian. Have you been seen in public together?”

“I took her shopping yesterday. Why?”

“If I rush through a divorce for her and it would come out that she is dating you, it wouldn’t be good for either of us and our association.”

“When do you see being the earliest time possible to get them in your courtroom?”

“Getting them on the docket in a month shouldn’t raise eyebrows provided that she files today.”

“I don’t like it. It gives him too much time to spend money that belongs to Vivian as well as more time she has to use his name instead of her own name.”

“If I didn’t know as much about your finances as I do, I’d suspect ulterior motives, Reino.”

“I don’t want him to have any more chances to hurt her. He’s done quite enough already.”

“I understand that, but a month is better than the usual three to six months.”

“Reino, he’s right. I know you want to do what is best for me, but you also have to think about you. If in helping me you hurt you, it’s not worth it. A month is better than waiting for the divorce to work its way through on its own, or, worse yet, waiting for Bernard to file.”

Reino turned towards me on the bench and pulled me closer to him.

“You have already given too much to him. I hate to see you lose anything else.”

“I don’t think Hiram would let Bernard steal me blind.”

“I can court order him to repay every penny he has spent since your separation. I can make his life as miserable as you’d like for me to make him. I would give Nathan a call and start filing paperwork today.”

“How soon?”

“I’d go see him as soon as you have eaten breakfast.”

“Do you mind setting aside what I had planned for our day to do what we need to do?”

“If it means being free to live my life how I want to live it, I don’t mind at all.”

“Thank you, Hiram.”

“You are welcome, Reino. Stay safe, Vivian. I’ve seen what upset husbands can do. Please, take care of yourself.”

“Thank you, Hiram. I will do that.”

“And I’ll help however I can.”

“I wouldn’t expect less, Reino. Have a good day.”

He slid out of the booth and disappeared into the cafe. Reino still looked disappointed.

“I’m sorry, Vivian.”

“For what?”

“For leading you to believe that I could work miracles and then failing to deliver.”

“You haven’t failed. If it wasn’t for you I’d be sitting at home doing what I’ve been doing since he asked me to leave. Now, I’m on my way to being a free woman again.”

“I still feel like I’ve let you down.”

“Stop it. Here are our drinks and food. But, we haven’t ordered yet.”

“Fred instructed me to bring you both Mr. Bianchi’s usual, Miss.”

She set the plates down in front of us. My eyes about popped out of my head.

“This is way too much food for me.”

“Is there something you’ll eat?”

“I’ll eat all of it,” I replied as my eyes roved over bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and pancakes.

“Good. Eat what you can. No pressure.”

I buttered my pancakes and smothered them in syrup and ate every last morsel of food sitting in front of me. It was a good start to a great day.


	8. Chapter 8

A month later I found myself sitting in a courtroom with one of Reino’s lawyers by my side while Bernard sat on the other of the aisle with his visibly pregnant hussy sitting next to him. Judge Thomas got us onto the docket as early as he could, as promised, without raising eyebrows.

I had been coached to not be emotional and to let the lawyer, Nathan Williams, do most of the talking. I was going to get emotional if I looked at Bernard’s smug face, so I stared straight ahead. Reino was sitting in the back of the courtroom watching everything. I wanted to look at him, but he thought it would be detrimental to my case for anyone besides us, Nathan and Hiram to know we were associated together. I knew one look from him would be enough to give me the strength to make it through the proceedings. I could be strong knowing he was there supporting me.

“All rise.”

I stood up as did everyone else and for the first time I noticed that Bernard had no lawyer to represent him. I said a silent prayer that wouldn’t push everything back. Hiram sat down.

“Be seated.”

We sat down and Nathan patted my hand. The judge looked up at us and then over at Bernard. 

“Mr. Buschner, where is your representation?”

“This is a fairly simple matter, Your Honor. I didn’t feel he was needed despite seeing that Mrs. Buschner felt it was.”

Hiram looked at me. 

“Indeed. Well then, shall we get to the matter at hand and discuss what you’ve been doing with money that, according to her parents’ last will and testament, rightfully belongs to her?”

“As her husband, Your Honor, I had every right to see to the proper care of her inheritance.”

“And when you kicked her out of the home you had shared together, did you think you still had rights to care for it?”

“Well, I, that is, she wouldn’t know what to do with it, Your Honor.”

“I don’t know about you, Mr. Buschner, but I assure you a woman knows what to do with money. My wife certainly does.”

Light laughter rang through the courtroom. I was glad to see that Hiram wasn’t a stick in the mud judge. The laughter helped decrease the tension I was feeling in my stomach. It was a great help.

“Isn’t there supposed to be opening statements during these things?”

“This isn’t a trial, Mr. Buschner. I have already received all the legal filings with all the information I need about what you’ve tried to do to your wife financially. Unless you have paperwork that disputes all of the paperwork Mrs. Buschner and Mr. Williams have given me, I am going to make a ruling.”

“I do not agree to a divorce. It’s as simple as that.”

Hiram grinned at him and I could see the color drain from Bernard’s face while Mabel whimpered next to him. 

“Agree or not, I am granting one to her. You are to immediately relinquish all money that rightly belongs to her. You will also work until your dying day to pay back every penny of her money you have spent since she was forced from your family home. What was the date, Mrs. Buschner?”

“March first, Your Honor.”

“Everything you have spent since then will be paid back to her. As far as the family home is concerned-“

“Your Honor, my parents bought that for us as a wedding gift. I don’t think it would be fair of you to give it to her.”

“I don’t think it was fair of you to spend her money and not grant her a divorce to keep your pregnant mistress from leaving you. Life isn’t about fair, but the law is. If you produce paperwork showing what you claim in regards to the family home, I will grant that you may stay in it.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Counsel, anything else to add?”

“Will you grant Mrs. Buschner her maiden name, Shaw, back so she may continue her life as she sees fit?”

“Of course, Mr. Williams. Does Miss Shaw have anything to add?”

“No, Your Honor, but I would like to say thank you.”

“My pleasure, my dear. I’m always happy to help set right what’s gone wrong. Mr. Buschner, if you don’t come up with a payment plan to pay your debt to Miss Shaw, I will throw you in prison.”

“She has plenty of money. She won’t miss the couple thousand I’ve spent in the past couple of months.”

“Maybe she won’t, but you will repay it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“All rise.”

Everyone stood up and I couldn’t contain my excitement. I managed to do so until Judge Thomas stepped off the bench. He winked at me as he went into his chambers. It had gone exactly as Reino assured me it would go. I couldn’t help myself as I gave Nathan a hug. 

Bernard and Mabel didn’t stick around. We went to leave when I noticed that Reino wasn’t where he had sat down when we entered the courtroom.

“It all went as smoothly as I said it would.”

“I know, Mr. Williams, but I was still nervous that he’d bring in some lowlife lawyer to try to lie and cheat his way into keeping what’s rightly mine. When is everything officially final?”

“As soon as I receive the papers from Judge Thomas, I will bring them to you to sign and then find Mr. Buschner for him to sign them.”

“What if he won’t sign them?”

“Let’s just say he won’t like the consequences of such an act.”

“What do you mean?”

He stopped me and escorted me to a quiet bench in the courthouse.

“You do know who you’ve been dating, don’t you?”

“I know who Reino is. I know what the family business is. I’m not in this blindly.”

“People who cross him have been known to disappear. Other guys break a limb or two as a threat first, but Reinaldo doesn’t mess with things like that. If Bernard is stupid enough to upset him, he won’t live to see that child born, if he doesn’t decide to just do both of them in for making you miserable.”

“He wouldn’t hurt a pregnant woman.”

“If he thought it would make life easier for you, he would.”

“Why risk so much for me?”

“You don’t see it, Miss Vivian?”

“See what?”

“He loves you. He would move heaven and earth for you, if you asked it of him. I’ve only ever seen him look at another woman like he looks at you and he most  
definitely loved her.”

“Why is he with me if-“

“It’s not my story to tell, Miss Vivian. We need to get outside before he wonders what’s keeping us.”

I nodded my head and let him pull me along to the front of the building. He thought Reino loved me. He also suspected that Reino might do something horrible to Bernard and Mabel if they upset me any more. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to them like that. Something horrible what was shear coincidence was one thing. This was quite another.

“Will he tell me the story about this other woman?”

“I don’t know. I would suspect when he’s ready he will.”

Hayes pulled up with the car and let Nathan help me into it.

“Thank you, Mr. Williams.”

“Don’t thank me yet. He has to sign the papers first.”

“If you tell him what you told me, I think he will. If nothing else, he has an intense sense of self preservation.”

Nathan smiled at me and closed the door. It wasn’t long before Hayes pulled out into traffic.

“Where is Reino?’

“Waiting for you to have a celebration dinner.”

“Where”

“It’s a surprise.”

“A hint?”

“I am to drive you there only. You will receive no hints from me.”

I smirked at him before sitting back to enjoy my newfound freedom. Knowing Reino was as cutthroat as he was should have scared me. He had never done anything to make me think he would ever hurt me or anyone else he liked, so what did I have to worry about? Nothing, as long as he continued to like me. I refused to believe he loved me until I heard it from his own lips. That thought made me want to find out what happened to this other girl he supposedly looked at the same way he looked at me to keep me from doing whatever she did to leave him.

Hayes pulled up outside a building that I knew should have looked familiar. He opened the door for me and helped me out.

“This is an odd place for a celebration party.”

“Right down these steps. Knock four times and do you remember the passwords?”

I grinned.

“Of course I do. Thank you, Hayes.”

I have him a hug. He patted me on the back once before pulling away and leading me to the stairs.

“Isn’t this dangerous to lead me here in broad daylight?”

“No. Go before he wonders what’s keeping you.”

I carefully made my way down the steps. In the daylight they were easier to navigate, but there still wasn’t a handrail to help me get down them. Once I was at the bottom of the steps I heard Hayes drive away. I walked up to the door and knocked four time. This time I saw the tiny door slide open.

“Yeah?”

“I’m here to see Reino.”

“What if Reino ain’t here?”

“Do you really want to go down this road again, Joey?”

The door opened allowing me to enter and then closed behind me.

“Mr. Bianchi said to make it as close to your first date here as I could.”

I reached into the darkness and managed to land my hand on flesh.

“I know, Joey. I was good naturally teasing you. You’ve been impeccable every other time I’ve come to the Bordeaux.”

“Thank you, Miss Vivian.”

I stepped into the actual club. It felt so empty and strange without wall to wall bodies. That helped with me feeling as under dressed as I did the first time I stepped food into the club. Someone cleared their throat behind me.

“Reino, wow. I’ve never seen you in a tuxedo before.”

“Does it impress my lady?”

“Very much so.”

He offered me his arm and I gladly took it. I expected he’d take me to our usual table, but he took me back stage to a door.

“I’m going to stay right here and wait. Let me know if you need help.”

“What?”

“Go in. Put on the dress. Come back out.”

I opened the door and stopped. It couldn’t be.

“That’s the evening dress I fell in love with that day we went shopping but decided that is was too expensive.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, I don’t like it. I absolutely adore and love it. What possessed you to buy it for me?”

“You looked beautiful in it and I know you loved it. That alone was enough to buy it. Knowing that you’d need something to properly celebrate becoming Miss Shaw again was a pretty big factor as well. Mostly I bought it to see that look of complete awe on your face.”

“It’s beautiful and you spoil me entirely too much.”

I threw my arms around his neck. I think I shocked him because it was a little bit before I felt his arms pulling me to him in response. It wasn’t too much longer before he was kissing me. Other than some snuggling on car ride around town, he had been a complete gentleman towards me. This was our first kiss and it was wonderful. He pulled away from me and tried to catch his breath.

“I’m sorry, Vivian. I shouldn’t have done that. Get dressed. I’ll help if needed and then we’ll start our evening.”

“Okay.”

I closed the door between us. Even with as happy as the dress and the kiss made me, I felt tears brimming in my eyes. Nathan may have seen love in how Reino looked at me, but I was fairly sure that wasn’t the case. I tried brushing that thought aside as I took the hanger down to look at the dress again. It was as beautiful as I remembered it being. It had straps for sleeves with a tight bodice that fell to just below my waist. The skirt was slightly shorter in the front that it was in the back. The bodice was covered in a beaded pattern and the skirt was covered in beaded fringe. It was a deeper shade of blue than anything I had ever owned before. If it hadn’t been May already, I would have needed a shawl or stole to keep my shoulders warm. Good thing it was warm since I didn’t have either of those things.  


Not wanting to keep Reino waiting any longer than I needed to, I got the demure dress I bought specifically for court that day off me and took the other off the hanger. I got it put on and realized I wasn’t going to be able to do up all the eye hooks on the back of it. I opened the door a crack to find Reino standing there with that smile on his face that turned my knees to jelly.

“It does fit, right?”

“If fits fine, but I can’t do all the hooks on the back.”

I turned around and showed him the open back of the dress. He reached out and in no time had the back all hooked up for me. I walked back into the room to look into the mirror. I had no make up on since Nathan suggested that coming into the courtroom with a painted face might not help my case with Bernard. I didn’t want him to do anything to stop the proceedings.

“I look sick and my hair does not look right with this dress.”

“Follow me.”

He started walking deeper into the backstage area to lead me into a room where Shirley waited. I couldn’t help myself. I rushed forward to give her a hug.

“Shirley! What are you doing here?”

“I was informed that my skills were needed to get you ready for a celebration party.”

“Yes, I think they are.”

“Sit right down then and let me work my magic. Reino, I’ll send her out when I’m done.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He flashed one of his brilliant smiles before stepping out of the room. Shirley covered me with a cloth to protect that gorgeous dress.

“What do we want to do with your hair?”

“I have no idea. Based on the dress, it’s going to be a big deal of a party.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have no idea.”

“Sounds like Reino. Let me see what I can do.”

She started finger waving my hair and doing something with the length I knew Reino liked even if he never came right out and said so to me.

“Shirley, have you known Reino a long time?”

“Since we were kids, so I guess that would be a long time to most people.”

“Nathan said something to me, but I want your opinion of whether I should say anything to Reino about it or not.”

“What did Nathan say to you? Do I need to get his wife after him for being inappropriate?”

“He wasn’t inappropriate at all. He got me my maiden name back. He was wonderful, but he asked me if I knew Reino loved me and that he had only ever seen him look at one other woman the way he looks at me.”

“I’ll string Nathan up myself for even mentioning her to you.”

“What did she do to lose Reino’s love?”

“She didn’t do anything on purpose. Do you remember the big influenza epidemic nine years ago?”

“Vividly, mostly. It almost killed me and I still have problems breathing when it gets too cold.”

“Wow. You were lucky then. Emma wasn’t as lucky. At her funeral everyone was sure Reino was going to crawl into the grave with her. He secluded himself away from everything for a while. It felt like forever at the time since I hardly went a day when I didn’t see him, but it was for at least a year. When he came back he was different.”

“Different how?”

“He rarely talked unless talked to first. He was more likely to hide in the corner and watch everything going on around him rather than participate in the fun. A part of him died with Emma’s death. But, being around you, Vivian, has brought that part of him back to us. He still isn’t the center of attention all the time anymore, but at least he’s having some fun.”

“He was standing with the young people at church when I met him officially and he easily talked me into meeting him that night. That wasn’t usual for him?”

“Not in a very long time. He must have seen something in you that he liked. All his friends would like to thank you for that.”

“I’m glad I could help. One more question.”

“Ask away.”

“Why won’t he kiss me?”

“I don’t know. He has never had a problem kissing anyone else, according to Hayes.”

“What?”

“Well, he does drive him around and I can get him to tell me a few things about Reino. I never ask about work. I’ve been worried about his lack of social life. Hayes informed me that he hasn’t had a lack of one. He just never keeps the same one around for very long. Well, he didn’t until he met you.”

“And why does Hayes tell you all this?”

“You didn’t realize Hayes and I are married?”

“No, I didn’t. How unobservant am I?”

“You’ve been wrapped up in Reino, so it’s understandable. We are all happy to see him happy.”

“I just worry that he’s going to wake up one day and realize I’m the most boring person he knows and his life will never be exciting with me around. Mostly I’m trying to focus on the present and not worry about the future, but I do worry about what will happen to me if he would get bored with me.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Vivian. He cares about you and not just about having a good time with you. Not like those others he used simply as window dressing for important functions.”

“So, you and Hayes. How long have you two been together?”

“I’m not letting you change the subject that easily. I’m done with your hair. I’m going to put some make up on you. You can look when I’m done.”

“Please, no red lipstick.”

“Reino told me. I promised him no red lipstick.”

I smiled. It was nice to have someone who knew me so well taking care of me.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Shirley was done with my hair and face, my stomach was growling. She grinned at me while she made one more swipe at my lips.

“There. Although, with luck he’ll not let it sit on your lips for long.”

“I told you he won’t kiss me.”

“Hopefully he’ll change his mind when he sees you.”

She finally let me see what she had been doing. I thought Corinne made me not look like me, but Shirley really did a good job at it. I touched my face and the woman in the mirror moved too. It had to be me.

“Shirley, what are you doing here when you could be making a fortune doing makeup for the rich and famous in Hollywood?”

“Too many fake people in Hollywood. I prefer living where you know you can trust people.”

“Hollywood’s loss is our gain. Thank you.”

She gave me a delicate hug to keep from messing up her handiwork.

“You’re welcome. Now, don’t keep Reino waiting.”

“Yes.”

I took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway. Reino let out a low whistle.

“I am glad I don’t have to share you tonight.”

“You’re getting me all dressed up to hide me away from the world?”

“I get you to myself for dinner. After that I will have to share you with the clientele of the Bordeaux. Although, they only get to look at you.”

“And after?”

“We’ll see where the evenings goes.”

He produced a single, perfect, red rose from behind his back. I was shaking when I took it from him. It smelled as perfect as it looked.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Not as perfect as you are.”

I couldn’t help blushing. Yes it was a line, but I didn’t care. Bernard hadn’t cared enough to use a line on me in longer than I cared to think about or while he was courting me, come to think of it.

“Where are we going for dinner?”

We entered the dance floor of the club to find a white tablecloth covered table with a lit candelabra on it sitting in the middle of the dance floor. The lights were low and there was soft music playing from somewhere. Reino held a chair out for me. Once I was settled he sat down across from me.

“Is this okay for dinner?”

“It’s perfect, Reino, like you.”

“I was going to take you to the nicest restaurant in town when Hayes convinced me that this would be better. I wouldn’t have to threaten anyone for looking at you during our meal. That thought appealed to me.”

“You’d really threaten someone for looking at me?”

“If he was just appreciating the beautiful woman you are, no. There are those who look at a beautiful woman like a piece of flesh to own, possess and control. Bernard is that type of man.”

“I know he is, but he was who my parents wanted me to marry. I couldn’t say no.”

“You could have, but you chose not to do so.”

I thought for a minute. I hated it when other people were right.

“I didn’t exactly have men beating down my doorstep once Bernard decided I was going to be his. He wanted me to legitimize his family’s desire to become old money. The only way to do that was to marry old money.”

“Let’s not talk about him and let him ruin our evening.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to ruin what you’ve done for me and you’ve done so much for me. I don’t know how to repay anything you’ve done for me.”

Two waiters appeared out of the surrounding darkness with silver dome covered plates. A third one followed to pour us each a glass of champagne before settling the bottle back into the ice bucket. He then removed the silver domes with a flourish. I couldn’t help gasping.

“My mother made a pan of her famous lasagna for tonight since you said it was your favorite.”

“It looks amazing, Reino. I’m sure it tastes even better than that.” I picked up my fork to take a bite as he watched me intently. I about melted. “It’s like heaven on a fork. Do you think she’d be willing to teach me how to do this? I know I would probably never measure up to hers, but I’d be honored if she’d be willing to try.”

“You want to meet my family?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I want to do meet them? Unless I’m more invested in us than I should be. If I am, I’m sorry.”

“So you’re worried about being more invested in our relationship, but you wonder what you can do to repay me for everything I’ve been able to help you take care of over the past month?”

“I know it’s silly.”

“Not silly. I just want you to know that I care a lot about you and your happiness. You’ve become very important to me, Vivian. I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face because I wake up thinking about you.”

“Oh Reino. You’ve become very important to me too. Today in the courtroom I wanted nothing more than to turn around and see you before Judge Thomas entered the courtroom. I knew seeing you would help me through everything.”

He curled the fingers of his left hand into the fingers of my left hand on the table between us.

“That makes me very happy to hear you say that. Now, eat up. It won’t be long before the band arrives to get set up. That will ruin the romantic atmosphere.”

I nodded at him and tried not to eat the lasagna so fast that it made me sick. Plus, it was so wonderful that I wanted to make sure I tasted every last bite of it. If his mother made it, I knew I’d ever measure up to her cooking. Somehow I got the feeling that Reino wouldn’t mind too much.

Once we finished our dinner and enjoyed some fresh strawberries for dessert, the waiters appeared to clear the table and move everything back to where they were supposed to go. They blew the candles out before the lights were turned on section by section. I felt arms snake around my waist from behind.

“Welcome to the rest of your life, Miss Shaw.”

I turned in his grasp to face him and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Thank you, Mr. Bianchi, for everything.”

“My pleasure,” he whispered against my lips before he kissed me. He was a bit tentative at first, but once he decided to do something, he went for it. By the time the lights were turned back on I was weak in the knees from his kisses. His hands had stayed on my waist while my hands couldn’t keep away from his hair. I finally had to break the kiss to catch my breath. One thing I could say, Bernard never made me breathless just kissing me. Reino’s calm facade hid the bubbling passion within him. I knew it hid other things, but at that moment I was only concerned about the passion.

“Boss, why you got your arms wrapped around some floozy? Won’t Miss Vivian be-“ I turned to face the voice which belonged to the bandleader. He removed his hat. “I’m sorry, Miss Vivian. From behind you didn’t look like yourself.”

“That’s okay, Silas, because I no longer feel like myself.”

“Who do you feel like?” Reino questioned.

“Tonight I’m all flapper.”

“As long as it means you’ll enjoy the evening. Don’t you need to get the band going, Silas?”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi. I do apologize, Miss Vivian. I need to learn to think before I start talking.”

“It’s all right, Silas. No harm done. Go warm up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Reino glared after Silas as he took to the stage without the usual joking around with the rest of the band.

“Don’t be mad at him, Reino. He obviously feels comfortable enough to say what’s on his mind.”

“I just don’t want anyone to ever refer to you as a floozy or a hussy or any other derogatory term they can think of to call a woman. You’re better than that by a wide margin and I won’t stand for it.”

“No one here is used to seeing me dressed like this. Even the new evening dresses I picked out a month ago are conservative compared to this one. I don’t look like myself.”

“I made a mistake to buy that for you if it-“

I put my fingers to his lips to stop him from talking.

“No, you didn’t. I love the dress. I want it in every color House of Chanel makes it in. I look different, but we’ve never been overly affectionate with each other in public. Hand holding has been as far as the physical contact goes. The kissing was out of character for us.”

“Maybe.”

“Promise me you won’t do anything to Silas.”

“I promise. He is safe until you say otherwise.”

“I have a solution to show people that we are important to each other.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“You need to have your hands and your lips on me as much as you possibly can tonight. Let people know we’re together and they should expect more public displays of affection from us.”

“That is one idea I can agree to. As a matter of fact, why don’t we start now?”

His lips were on mine again only this time his hands weren’t still. Mostly they were trying to pull me even closer to him, but I was just as close as I could get to him without taking off our clothes and the middle of his speakeasy wasn’t the right place for that one. He broke the kiss when we heard someone clearing their throat behind us. Reino looked over my shoulder.

“Yeah, Joey?”

“We got people at the door with the password. Is it too early to let ‘em in?”

He looked at his watch and then looked at the clock on the wall.

“It’s a little early, but it’s a special occasion. Let them in, Joey.”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Are you ready for tonight?”

“I hope so.”

“Good because I’m planning on you helping me work the floor tonight.”

“I don’t get to dance?”

“You get to do whatever it is your heart to do tonight. However I do ask that you do some meet and greet. I’m the muscle and you’re the pretty face of this place. People like seeing you here.”

“I’m nobody to anyone here. They tolerate me because they’re afraid of you if they don’t.”

“Nonsense. Now, we should get Shirley to fix your lips. You look like you’ve been smearing them all over a dead body.”

I slapped my hands over my lips before scurrying over to our table to pull my compact out to see what needed to be fixed. Reino was good at kissing away the lipstick at least. It wasn’t the color Shirley put on me, but I pulled out my Rosa and applied it, trying to blend with the other color on my lips. It didn’t look bad at all once I was done. I put the tube back into my clutch and rejoined Reino.

“Smile.”

I smiled and shook hands and did the fake kissing both cheeks with so many people that I thought for sure my face was going to crack before much longer. The stream of people finally slowed to a trickle and Reino escorted me to our table where we found Shirley waiting for us. There was a glass of Reino’s usual sitting in his spot while I had an old fashioned waiting in mine. Shirley had a glass of something with a lemon in it in front of her.

“I gave Hayes the night off. Why aren’t the two of you together?”

“You know Hayes. He’d rather lose both hands than not be there when you needed him, Reino.”

“Is there some tension with his loyalty to me?”

Shirley rolled her eyes and took a sip of whatever was in her glass.

“Don’t you pull that macho gangster stuff on me, Reino. I’ve known you for a long time and could tell stories that I know you wouldn’t want Vivian to hear. I adore that Hayes is loyal to you. He is loyal to me too. You asked why he wasn’t here since you gave him the night off and I simply informed you that you can’t force him to take time off. Put the guns away.”

I watched this exchange in fear of Shirley’s life. 

“Sorry Shirley. I guess Silas still has me upset and I’m going to wonder if he’s watching Vivian the whole night he’s on stage.”

“Please don’t start this again. Silas didn’t mean anything and he certainly wouldn’t compromise his job here. The band has started playing. Let’s dance.”

“I’ll watch from here. You girls go have fun.”

Shirley didn’t wait for me to argue with him or to start another argument with him. She grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. I had been working hard on learning how to keep myself from looking like I was having a fit instead of dancing. I had progressed a lot in a month, I felt.

Apparently someone agreed with me. I felt hands resting on my hips, trying to guide them where he thought I should be moving them. At first I thought it was Reino finally deciding to not be a stick in the mud and dance with me. When I looked at Shirley and her eyes were wide in fear, I knew that it wasn’t him. I tried to dance away from him to give him the hint that I wasn’t interested in dancing where he wanted me to dance. He wasn’t deterred. He followed me. I pushed him away making him wrap his arms around my waist. 

“I’d love to see if those hips move a little freer once they’re free of that beaded monstrosity,” the whiskey breathed one whispered into my ear.

“Just because I’m dancing doesn’t mean that I’m up for grabs.”

I tried to get out of his arms and away from him but he moved fast for someone that I would have sworn was intoxicated.

“But your dancing excites me. Why don’t you come over to my table and we’ll get to know each other better?”

“No, thank you. I gotta return to my date.”

“Whoever your date is isn’t more important than me.”

“I’d say I am.”

The hands immediately let go of me. I took a step forward and was pulled into Reino’s waiting arms. Shirley was standing behind him. 

“Reinaldo, I was just-“

“Mr. Bianchi, and you were just about to manhandle my girlfriend.”

“What? Manhandle? No, I was just talking to her about the music.”

“Then why does her dress look like someone tried to put his hands all over as much of it as possible?”

By then the band had stopped playing and everyone in the place was watching Reino and whoever the handsy stranger was. I never liked being the center of attention. Then I realized people couldn’t have cared less about me. Their focus was on Reino.

“Her hands we-“

“Would never have done this to her dress. Now, apologize to Miss Shaw.”

“But I-“

“Apologize! That wasn’t a request. Do it.”

“I was only having a little fun.”

“Fun, huh.”

Before I knew what had happened, Shirley’s arm was around my shoulders as Reino threw the first punch at the man. Before the man could launch a counterattack, Reino hit him again. I didn’t know much about fights or anything, but I didn’t think it was a good thing when one of the parties never responded to any hit unless you counted bleeding profusely. The man went down after the fourth hit. I leapt at Reino to stop him from beating the poor man to death only to have Shirley bodily drag me away from him and to the bar. 

I sat down where she said to sit, but I couldn’t take my eyes off where a crowd had gathered to watch Reino fight. She said something to the bartender and a moment later I had a drink in my hand. I tried setting it down on the bar, but she put it right back in my hand.

“You drink that down, Vivian. Right now.”

I didn’t want to drink anything that wasn’t my normal drink, but I took a sip. It was terrible tasting so I spit it into the air.

“What on earth is this? It’s disgusting.”

“It’s supposed to be a gin rickey, but gin isn’t what it used to be. Take another drink and keep it in your mouth this time. You need to be drunk when you realize what’s going to happen.”

“Shirley, what’s going to happen?”

“You just take a couple of good swallows of that and then I’ll tell you if you haven’t figured it out by then.”

I took another drink. This time I didn’t take the time to taste it. I swallowed it down like I did any time I had to take some horrible concoction for whatever sickness my mother thought I had as a child. Shirley tapped my glass. I took two more quick drinks. I set the glass down on the bar and smiled at her. She smiled back.

“How you feeling?”

“I think I’m feeling pretty good. What’s going on over there?”

“Oh good. I can tell you now. Reino is beating the life out of whomever that unfortunate man was who decided he needed to put his hands on you.”

“He didn’t hurt me. Yes, his breath was horrid, but he didn’t hurt me.”

“He could have and that is what has Reino upset. Had the guy walked away at the first brush off, he’d be at work tomorrow. As it is, he won’t.”

“How did Reino even see us from his booth?”

“I went and got him.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I changed the rating to mature. Maybe I should have started off with it there, but live and learn, I guess. Let me know if anyone thinks it needs to be higher. :-)

The next morning I woke up feeling like I had a mouth full of cotton. Once I was able to produce a little spit to take care of that, my next thought went to I had arms wrapped around me. My hands immediately went to my body. I still had on my expensive dress. Plus, I figured I would probably end up sore the first time Reino and I made love and I wasn’t sore. Well, I wasn’t sore in that way. My head was pounding and I wanted to drink every last drop of water from my facet, but I could tell I hadn’t had sex. So, why was someone in bed with me?

I tried rolling over to make sure it was Reino, but I was pinned to the spot I was in. I couldn’t move. No amount of squirming made the arms loosen their hold on me. Feeling hands resting on my hips brought back memories of a man who wouldn’t just let me and Shirley dance. What had happened after that? I couldn’t quite remember, but I knew it would come back to me. It always did.

“Careful. You keep that up and I’ll give in to the demands you made of me last night.”

“Demands? And what demands were those, Reino?”

His hand went to my breast momentarily before moving down my stomach to rest on the inside of my hip. His fingers ran in circles on that sensitive skin. I shivered.

“I think you’ve figured it out.”

“Yes. Please stop doing that.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure I can be more persuasive sober.”

“I have willpower. Nothing will happen that I don’t want to happen no matter how hard you might try.”

“Other than to spurn my advances, why did you stay in my bed last night? You’ve never done that before.”

“You didn’t like waking up in my arms?”

“Quite the opposite, actually. I enjoyed it very much, but why are you still here?”

“After I convinced you that you didn’t want what you thought you wanted, you started crying and babbling about something. I didn’t catch much of it, but nothing calmed you down except laying down, wrapped up in my arms. I couldn’t let you sleep here alone and hysterical.”

“I can see that. Thank you. So, once you’ve beaten someone senseless, what happens to them?”

“You do remember last night. Shirley said she gave you enough gin to make you forget.”

“How could I forget that? There was so much blood. So much blood. Oh Reino.”

“I’m sorry, Vivian. When Shirley came and got me, I was so blinded with fury over someone having the gall not only to touch you, but to keep touching you after you’ve said no, I lost control. Did he deserve to die? Maybe. We might have stopped him from trying to take drunken advantage of someone who doesn’t have the owner of the speakeasy to protect her. Am I sorry over what I did? I’d like to say yes, but I can’t. Are you upset with me?”

I thought for a moment.

“How can I be upset with your for protecting my virtue? I do wish things could have been settled without fists, but creeps like him, who can’t take no for an answer, make all men look like jerks. Frankly, not all men are jerks.”

“We all have our moments though.”

“Not at all. I have yet to see you be a creep and I know I’ll never see it.”

“You really don’t know me very well, do you?”

“Reino, let’s not talk about this right now. I need something in my stomach and a long bath before I can have a more serious conversation with you.”

He finally loosened his grip on me to allow me to roll over and look at him. He had that light sprinkling of hair on his face again. I wanted to reach up and feel it, but it was obvious he wasn’t happy.

“Are you upset with me over what happened last night?”

“Why would you think that?”

“I killed a man with my bare hands because he wouldn’t leave my girlfriend alone.”

“I know what type of business you’re in and I knew full well what you did when I made the decision to let my heart decide about you.”

“And not just any man. He was a city councilman.”

“And?”

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Should it?”

“Most people would be bothered. It’s not normal to not.”

“It didn’t seem to bother Shirley.”

“She’s been in this world a lot longer than you have. You should at least be slightly indignant about this.”

“Reino, I care deeply for you. I can’t hate any part of you and this is part of you.”

Instead of arguing anymore, he gently pulled me closer to him. Once he realized I couldn’t get any closer to him, he kissed me and then rested his forehead against mine

“I am the luckiest man in St. Louis if not the world to have found you.”

“No. I’m the lucky one. You’ve helped me to see that I needed to rejoin the world and maybe have some fun while I’m at it.”

“I have a proposition for you.”

“What?”

“Gather up clothes for today and tonight and everything you’ll need to get ready and we’ll go to my house to get ready for the day.”

“But, I’m going to need something to eat before then or my insides might eat themselves.”

“I’ll go find something we can take with us while you get everything together.”

“I think that sounds like a marvelous idea.”

He kissed me on the nose, an action I found quite endearing, and got out of bed. I laid there for another minute or five before easing myself out of bed. Once I was standing, I was fine. Bending over to pick anything up wasn’t good for my head or stomach.

Gathering up my toiletry items was fairly straight forward. I packed every item in my bathroom into a bag. I went to my closet next. Picking out a day dress was easy. Picking something for an evening dress was a little more difficult. I finally picked a flesh toned one covered in crystal bead fringe. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too dressy. I added a crystal beaded headband to the bag. For once my brown shoes would suffice for both outfits.

I walked out to my living room with my stuff. The smell of pancakes wafting through the room made my mouth water.

“Did I take longer picking out my clothes than I thought I did?”

“Not at all. Pancakes are my specialty.”

“But they aren’t portable.”

He grinned as he poured batter onto the hot skillet.

“They are the way I make them. Try one.”

He had a bowl lined with a towel filled with hot pancakes. I picked one up and took a bite.

“Oh my. This is all pancake and butter and maple without the mess. How do you do this?”

“It’s my special secret.”

“You won’t tell me?”

“If I tell you, how do I know you won’t break things off with me, knowing you can make these whenever you want?”

“You’re right. And then I’d only be tempted to share your secret with others.”

“Exactly. Grab another one and then go out to the living room. I’ll finish up and clean up. Hayes will be here in about twenty minutes.”

I did as instructed. I tried to eat at a reasonable pace, but that doesn’t work well when you’re starving. By the time Reino left the kitchen with the bowl full of them, I was ready for more. I nearly attacked him to get me more pancakes.

“These aren’t just for you, you know.”

“Reino, with as hungry as I am right now, I could tear you apart with my bare hands to get more.”

He held the bowl out to me.

“One more. You don’t want to make yourself sick. Hayes won’t like cleaning that out of the car.”

“One more and then I’ll let my stomach settle a little bit. Promise.”

I took one and concentrated on eating it in little bites. Halfway through the pancake the buzzer sounded. Reino opened the door expecting it to be Hayes coming to get us.

“It’s Bernard,” he stated with a touch of surprise in his voice.

He looked at me. I rolled my eyes before nodding. He went down and let him into the building. Reino beat him to the front door and stood in the doorway, nearly blocking it. Bernard flattened himself against the doorframe to stay as far away from Reino as he could.

“What do you want, Bernard?”

“I want to know how you paid off that judge. My lawyer said there was no way any sane judge would grant a divorce if I was opposed to it.”

“Why? Because it should be okay with everyone for you to continue to support your prostitute with my money?”

Bernard eyed Reino standing in the doorway in his rumpled suit before looking me up and down good. Reino cracked his fingers making Bernard go pale.

“Seeing as how you’ve already set yourself up as one, does it matter?”

I didn’t wait for Reino to move. I slapped Bernard, leaving a bright red handprint across his cheek. I went to slap him again only Reino moved and wrapped his arms around me.

“Don’t give him what he wants.”

“My lawyer will bring the divorce papers to you to sign. Just sign them and stop being such a jerk. Now, get out.”

“No. Not until you agree to call off this divorce. I won’t have my family’s name drug through the dirt.”

“Seeing as how your family’s name isn’t worth anything, I’m not going to do that. Now, get out.”

Bernard balled up his fist. Before he could swing, Reino shoved him backwards. He fell over the lone chair in my living room and crashed to the floor. At first he didn’t move and I was afraid he had seriously injured himself. He finally pushed himself up and shook his head before standing up.

“That was a mistake. I’d be looking over my shoulder, Vivian. You’re not safe in this town.”

He stumbled out of my apartment and down the stairs I collapsed into Reino’s arms.

“Change of plans. Do you have a suitcase?”

“I have a trunk. Will that work?”

“Will it hold enough clothes to last you a week?”

“I took it with us on our month long honeymoon. It’s also what I used to move everything I owned here. A week shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Go put every article of clothing you own into it. When Hayes gets here, I’m going to have him help me get it into the car.”

I nodded and went to my bedroom. I pulled the trunk from the closet and then started emptying my dresser drawers into it. Next I piled all my dresses hanging in the closet into it before adding all my shoes. It wasn’t the most efficient way to pack, but it worked.

I tried dragging it to the living room, but it was too heavy for me to even budge a little bit. Reino heard me struggling and came into my bedroom. He didn’t say anything to me. He picked up the trunk and carried it out of my room. I followed him.

“Why did I just put every article of clothing I own into that trunk?”

“I don’t take kindly to threats. Since I can’t be with you all hours of the day and night, I’m taking you somewhere you’ll be protected.”

“So, what about going to your house to get dressed and ready for the day? I’m hoping you have a much nicer bathtub than this apartment has so I can sit and soak for a bit.”

“We will still do that. I’m not changing my plans for today. I’m not completely changing them. After we’re ready, we’re going to take your trunk to my parents’ house. You’ll stay with them whenever you’re not with me.”

“So, I have to sleep at their house all alone in a strange place? That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

I tried to put on my best pouting face. Batting my eyelashes made him act like I had wounded him in the heart.

“That’s not fair. You know I have an intense weakness when it comes to you.”

“I’m counting on that. Why can’t I stay at your house?”

He folded me into his arms and started rubbing my back. 

“I have business I have to take care of at night sometimes. I don’t know how much you’d like having to go to the Bordeaux or one of my other clubs every night so I can keep an eye on things and meet with business associates from time to time. It would mean a lot of late nights for you. Plus, while I’m in meetings, you’ll be alone. I can’t have that.”

“What about Shirley?”

“What about her?”

“You don’t trust her to help keep me safe?”

“Shirley has her uses and they are many, trust me, but being a bodyguard isn’t one of them. You are certainly welcome to come with me when I’m just going different places to check on things, but I would feel better if you’d stay with my mom and dad when I need to have my attention elsewhere.”

“But-“

“Why are you fighting this? You do understand that I’m trying to keep you safe, right?”

“I do know that. Although, I wouldn’t take a threat from Bernard seriously. Who does he know that would hurt me besides him?”

“Just him is enough. I don’t trust him. I want you to promise me that you won’t agree to meet him without me with you.”

“I promise, but-“

“But nothing. Remember how I told you when we first met that I’m an excellent judge of people?”

“Yes, vividly.”

“I judge him to not be a person we should take lightly. If he makes a threat, we are going to take it as a threat until such time that we are one hundred percent certain the threat has been neutralized.”

“I know you’re right. I would rather show him that he can’t scare me, but I understand what you’re trying to do. I know you have my best interests at heart. I will meekly follow your directions until such time that I can return to my life.”

He rested his forehead against mine.

“Thank you. I’m not sure I would survive losing you.”

I kissed him and wrapped my arms around him. I would be a good girl and do exactly as he told me to do. I wouldn’t risk him just to do what I thought was actually the best thing to do. Besides, I felt protected in his arms. He would take care of me.

My buzzer sounded again breaking the tranquility of the moment.

Reino briefly disappeared and reappeared with Hayes in tow. Hayes didn’t bat an eyelash to see us both in rumpled clothes with a giant trunk that needed to be hauled to the car. Hayes grabbed one end while Reino got the other. I grabbed my clutch and followed them. I hoped I would see my apartment again. Something told me I would. I had to hold on to the hope that my life would eventually return to some semblance of normal. Anything else was unthinkable.


	11. Chapter 11

Finding a place for the trunk was awkward for a bit. It was finally decided that Reino and I would just have to deal with it in the backseat with us. It meant we didn’t get to snuggle up together like we normally did, but that was a small sacrifice for getting the silly thing away from my apartment and to Reino’s parents’ house. I was relaxed and okay with everything that had happened. That was until we turned onto Washington Boulevard. I started shaking before I tried to bury my head in my arms. It didn’t help block out anything going on outside the car. I felt Reino’s hand on my arm.

“Are you well, Vivian?”

“This is the street he lives on. We lived in that house there.”

I pointed at a house out one of the windows of the car. 

“Damn. I hadn’t planned on this. Hayes.”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi?”

“We need to go straight to my home. It appears that I need to come up with an alternate plan for her safety.”

“She could stay with us. I know Shirley wouldn’t mind having company while I’m at work.”

“That was her suggestion too. Have you two been conspiring together?”

“No, sir. It’s just a suggestion.”

“Something to consider. Let’s get washed up and dressed and we can talk more about what to do once that’s done.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hayes made a right turn and we were off.

“Will I still get to meet your parents?”

“Of course. It just might not be today.”

“If your mom is going to teach me to cook like you like, I might need some time. I’m less than handy in the kitchen. I’m actually shocked I haven’t burned down my entire apartment building attempting to cook the few things I know how to make.”

“I did say that she would be willing to teach you to make lasagna. We will go meet them to set up time for you to get cooking lessons once all this is done.”

“I think that sounds wonderful. Do you think they’ll like me? A debutant socialite isn’t high on every parents’ wish lists for their sons.”

“They will like you for one simple reason; I like you. Do I want my family’s blessing for us? Yes. Will I send you on your way if we don’t get that from them? Not a chance.”

We pulled into another large house in a part of town I was pretty sure I had never been in before. Hayes pulled around back and got out to help Reino haul my trunk inside the house.

“Would it be acceptable for me to go pick Shirley up from Mrs. Brennan’s house?”

“Of course. Take your time, Hayes. Until tonight, our day is extremely flexible.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bianchi. I will return just as soon as I can.”

Once they got the trunk inside, Hayes left with a wave. I stood in the kitchen drinking in the white perfection of it. I hadn’t been raised to do anything domestic, but there was something about a kitchen that brought out that side of me. I longed to spend time there putting together a meal my husband and children would enjoy eating. At least I still had hopes of half of that dream coming true. If I did things right I could end up with a husband who would enjoy the magic I wanted to work in the kitchen. Reino stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

“What are you thinking about standing in an empty, cold kitchen?”

“I was just thinking about how much I find myself wanting to be fantastic in the kitchen and to spend my afternoon preparing a meal fit for a king for my family, but it’s just a dream that will never come true.”

“Why not? My mom taught my sisters to cook and when you meet them, you will see why I say that in amazement. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t learn to cook like you want to learn to cook.”

“I just worry that I’m too old to learn well.”

“Let me say that I am more than willing to be the one to try every success or failure. I look forward to it.”

I giggled.

“What would you like for me to try first?”

“Lasagna and apple pie. I know you want to learn how to make lasagna and I love a giant slice of apple pie just about any time of the day, any day of the week.”

“For breakfast?”

“Anytime.”

“Does your mom make good apple pie?”

“She does. You couldn’t learn from a better cook.”

“And what if I do such a horrible job on the pie that you never want to eat it again? Won’t you hate me for ruining your taste for apple pie?”

He spun me around in his arms to face him.

“I could never hate you, Vivian. There is nothing you could ever do to change how I feel about you.”

“Just wait until I’m serving you inedible pie.”

“Not even that would affect me. I love you, Vivian. I never want to be without you in my life.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting something like that right then. The tears started falling before I knew I was going to cry.

“I love you too. Although it feels weird to be saying that.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t remember the last time I said it and meant it as much as I do right now. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever said it and meant it like I mean it until saying it to you.”

He grinned at me before he started kissing me. These kisses weren’t like previous kisses. These were filled with need and desire. I had never been kissed to the point that my toes curled. Reino was doing a great job taking care of that. Normally he was a gentleman and let his hands rest in one spot. He didn’t do that this time. I didn’t know what I thought he was doing, but I was quite surprised when I felt his hands on my bare back.

“Reino, we shouldn’t.”

“If that’s what you want.”

I stood there watching him let me make up my own mind while I chewed on my lip. I knew it shouldn’t, but what came out of my mouth felt like the right thing to do.

“Reino, take me to your bedroom, now.”

I didn’t have to ask him twice. He scooped me up in his arms and took off at a brisk pace. I was afraid he was going to send the both of us tumbling when he took the stairs two at a time, but he got us up the stairs. He kicked open a bedroom door, crossed the room in four steps and placed me on the bed. My gown was nearly off, so I decided to help Reino out of his suit. He had already shrugged off his jacket and vest, so I started on his shirt. He put his hands on mine.

“We aren’t in a hurry, are we?”

“I’m going to say no, but you were certainly in a hurry to get me to your bedroom.”

“Only in a hurry to get you up here. Now that we’re here, we don’t need to be in a hurry, do we?”

He kissed the inside of my wrists. My insides twisted in knots. I never knew something so simple could make me want to rip someone’s clothes off. He didn’t stop at my wrists. He continued working magic with his lips on the delicate, sensitive skin on the inside of my arm. 

“No, we don’t need to be in a hurry, but if you keep that up, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

He chuckled against my skin. The vibrations made my toes curl and added to the twisting my insides were doing. 

“As you wish, my love.”

He let me return to unbuttoning his shirt. As soon as the last button was undone, I couldn’t help running my hands over the rippled plane of his stomach and up to his well defined chest. He kept his absolute perfection hidden under three piece suits. I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised. You can’t do what he had done the previous night at the Bordeaux without being well conditioned. He stood stock still and let me take his shirt off him completely. I wanted to take the time to admire him from every angle I could, but I hoped that there would be plenty enough time for that later.

“You are absolute perfection.”

“No, my Vivian. You are the only perfection in this room. I’m just a two bit gangster who managed to get an angel to fall in love with him.”

Before I could answer him, his lips were on mine. Two flicks of his wrist and my gown fell to a beaded heap on the floor. He lifted me onto the bed and managed to crawl up to join me without breaking the kiss. Although his hands explored every inch of my body, he wasn’t in any hurry to get me out of what little clothing remained on me. I, on the other hand, couldn’t control my hands trying to get his slacks off him. He stopped my hands and placed them on his shoulders.

“Patience, my love,” he said between kisses along a most delicious spot on my neck he had found. Apparently he approved of the noises I made when he kissed that spot because he certainly didn’t stop.

“Reino, you’re going to drive me to distraction.”

“I like to explore uncharted territory thoroughly. I can’t learn what makes you giggle and what makes you moan unless I’m allowed to explore.”

“How do you have the right words that make me want to let you do whatever you want to do?”

“It’s a gift.”

“And how do I talk you into letting me get you out of those slacks?”

“You really want them off me?”

“More than anything at this very point in time.”

“And after they’re off?”

He didn’t stop my hands as they started unfastening his belt.

“Why don’t we just see where things go?”

He threw his head back and laughed.

“I like the sound of that.” I managed to get everything unfastened, but I couldn’t find a graceful way to get them completely off him. “Let me help you with that.” In one swift movement he got them off and onto the growing pile of clothing next to the bed. 

He pulled me to him. The warmth radiating off his body helped with the case of the shivers I suddenly developed.

“Nervous?”

“No. Just a little cold, but you are helping with that.”

“Good.”

His hands finally made their way to unhooking my brassiere. It was still on when the doorbell rang. Reino let out a string of swear words that I had never heard in polite company before.

“Who would be coming to your house? You said you had no plans today.”

“I didn’t have plans today. Hopefully after I see who that is, I still won’t have plans.”

He planted a quick kiss on my lips before getting out of the bed. He bent over to pick up his slacks from the pile. There wasn’t any part of that man that wasn’t perfect. I wanted to kick myself for not exploring his backside as I had his chest. There would still be time for it, I hoped. After he had them back on, he turned and pulled the covers down and then over me. He then pulled a robe from his closet. He was slipping his arms into it as he went to answer the door.

With him gone, I had some time to breathe. I’d only known him for a month and was crawling into bed with him. What kind of woman did that make me? One thing was certain, I had truly meant it when I told him I loved him. I’d walk through fire for him if I needed to do so. I wasn’t sure I had ever physically wanted someone like I wanted Reino. I would stay wherever he wanted me to so he could take care of business, but us making love was going to happen sooner or later. I hoped it would happen sooner.

I couldn’t hear what was being said, but whoever rang the doorbell had upset Reino. I had never heard him raise his voice like that. Even when he escorted Bernard from my apartment he hadn’t been any louder than normal. I heard a set of shoeless footfalls on the stairs. He came back into the room and opened his closet.

“We have to get ready as quickly as we can. Our plans for the day have been changed.”

“Okay. Do I have time to take a bath as long as I’m quick about it?”

His face softened.

“Of course. I need to get cleaned up as well.”

“Should I go get a dress and my bag of toiletries from the trunk?”

“No. My associate is waiting downstairs. I can’t risk hurting him if he’d flirt with you. Why don’t you get some water running in the bathtub and I’ll grab the bag and a dress. Does it matter which one?”

“As long as it’s appropriate for daytime wear, no, it doesn’t matter.”

He nodded and turned to leave. I got out from under the warm sheets and headed towards the bathroom. He turned back and closed the distance between us. Before I knew it, I was in his arms and melting under his kisses. 

“I promise I will make this up to you.”

“Let me stay with you tonight.”

“We’ll see if we can make that happen.”

“Thank you.”

He kissed my nose making me giggle.

“Get washed up. We need to be out of here soon.”

“Okay.”

He left me to get my own bath going. I ran the water to be as hot as I could make it. I found a jar of lavender bath salts sitting next to the tub. I wanted to throw some into the water, but I thought better of it. The tub was half full when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Reino with my dress and things to get ready for the day.

“Can I grab a few things from here?”

“Sure.”

He picked up a razor and a few other things.

“I’m going to get ready in one of the guest rooms. Lock this door. He knows I’m entertaining a woman. I don’t want him to find out the hard way that you aren’t that kind of girl.”

“What kind of girl am I?”

“Mine.”

He planted another quick kiss on my lips before leaving. I did as instructed and locked the door before taking off the last remaining items I had on and settling into the tub and getting cleaned up for whatever our day then held.


	12. Chapter 12

Reino had to call Mrs. Brennan’s house to get Hayes back to his house. Reino’s associate, Ansel, offered to let us ride with him, but I could tell Reino didn’t like that idea if he’d need to get away at the spur of the moment. I was certain the fact that Ansel was sporting a black eye for being inappropriate with me probably had a lot to do with wanting Hayes to take us to the meeting.

We walked out the front door to get into our respective cars.

“Are you taking the girl somewhere before the meeting?”

“No, Vivian is coming with me.”

“You know the guys aren’t going to like that, Reinaldo.”

“They’ll just have to deal with it. I’m not letting her out of my sight today.”

“Afraid she’s going to run away or run to another man?” I froze as Reino moved towards Ansel again. Ansel held his hands up in surrender. “It was a joke. Geez. Why are you so sensitive about this dame?”

“Because she’s mine and mine alone.”

“Maybe I should go to your parents’ house, Reino. I don’t want to be the cause of friction between you and your associates.”

“I won’t let you feel unwanted.”

“I don’t feel unwanted. I want you to be able to concentrate on whatever is going on without me being a distraction.”

“You won’t be a distraction.”

“Really?”

I bit my bottom lip and started playing with the top button on his vest. He squirmed.

“Okay, you might be a distraction. A welcome distraction at any other time but this one.”

“So it’s settled. Hayes can take us to your parents’ house before taking you where you need to go.”

He pulled me to him.

“Thank you for being so understanding. This is very important. The feds are getting a little too close for comfort.”

“I understand. Now, let’s go.”

Hayes opened the door for us. Reino helped me into the car and then crawled in next to me. Hayes got in and we were off. 

“Are you going to be okay on the street where you used to live?”

“As long as I don’t have to drive past the house where him and the home wrecker live, I’ll be fine.”

He played with my fingers. I liked it a lot. I liked him touching me, even if it was something as innocent as that.

“You know, I know you hate her, but I’d like to thank her for doing what she did.”

“Why on earth would you want to do that?”

“Because if he hadn’t kicked you out because she was pregnant, I never would have met you and I wouldn’t be as deliriously happy as I’ve been for the past month.”

“Maybe Mother was right.”

“About what?”

“Everything happens for a reason. I’d gladly go through being as miserable as I felt in the time after it happened if it means I get to feel like I do right now. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

“Good.”

He kissed me just as Hayes was pulling into a driveway.

“Reino!”

He broke the kiss like a choirboy caught doing something bad.

“I should have called. Maybe then you wouldn’t be meeting everyone all at once. I’m sorry if this is going to be too overwhelming to you.”

“I’ll survive. It’s another part of your life and I’ll adjust.”

“You really are the best.”

He kissed me again as Hayes brought the car to a stop. He waited a respectable moment before getting out of the car to help us out.

“Stop necking like a teenager, Reino, and get out here and properly greet your mother.”

Reino got out of the car, gave his mother a hug before turning back to help me out of the car. Before I could say anything, I was being hugged by his mom.

“Mother, this is Vivian Shaw. Vivian, my mother, Renata Bianchi.”

“This is the one you asked me to make the lasagna for?”

“Yes, Mama.”

She looked me up and down hard.

“Did she eat any of it? No matter. We’ll get her fattened up a bit. Come inside when you’re ready.”

I looked at Reino with terror on my face. Fatten me up? He chuckled and kissed me.

“That means she likes you. She only feeds those she at least likes. This is good.”

“Son, I take it business is good?”

Reino shook hands with a man who could have been his twin if Reino had been older. For the first time I saw what Reino would probably look like in thirty years. I wasn’t upset in the least about it.

“Business is okay, but I need to go take care of something and I can’t leave Vivian alone. We have a soon to be ex-husband problem.”

“Who does he know?”

“No idea, but he knew who I was the second he saw me. I need her kept safe while I take care of an issue with the feds.”

“Ah, I see. Yes, I know your mother is looking forward to asking her as many questions as she can. I hope you’re prepared, Vivian.”

“I think I am.”

“Good. Hayes, take good care of him.”

“I will do as I always do, sir.”

“Very good. We should go inside before Renata has kittens.”

“Yes, sir.”

Reino pulled me into his embrace. I didn’t want him to let me go.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Stay here and don’t leave the house without my father or one of my brothers with you. They can protect you.”

“I will do as you ask.”

“Good.”

He got into the car and Hayes drove him away to his meeting. I wouldn’t be moved until I couldn’t see the car anymore. Reino’s father put his arms around my shoulders.

“Let’s go inside. You look like you could use a cup of tea.”

I let him guide me inside and to the kitchen table to sit down. While Mrs. Bianchi was stirring something together, Mr. Bianchi filled a kettle with water and started it warming. While there had been others in the yard when we arrived, they all seemed to have disappeared. It was just the three of us in the kitchen.

“Can I help do something?”

“Do you know how to form ravioli?”

“No. I’m basically useless in the kitchen.”

“Not good!” She started rolling out the dough. “How will you feed my Reino? He needs to be loved enough to be fed his mama’s recipes.”

“He thought you might be able to help me by teaching me to cook like you do. I know I could never be as good as you, but it would be nice to know my way around the kitchen at least.”

She smiled at me.

“You are a good girl for my Reino. After Emma, we didn’t think he’d ever be happy again. Easter dinner with him was a nice change. But, we’ve seen it’s only the beginning. Go wash your hands at the sink and I’ll give you your first lesson, yes?”

“Yes.”

I hurried to do as told before standing next to her.

“Do those sleeves roll up?”

“A little.”

“Roll them up and then put on one of those aprons.”

I went to where she indicated and picked up the first one my hands landed on. I put it on, using hers as a guide. I then rolled my sleeves as far as they could go. I wasn’t too worried about them, but if she was, it was good enough for me.

“Ready.”

“I’m going to roll out the sheet of dough. You spoon a small spoonful about an inch or so apart in two rows. Can you do that?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

She rolled and I placed dollops of the filling down both sides. Mrs. Bianchi didn’t say anything about how poorly I was doing, so I assumed I was doing okay. Once we had one sheet filled, she started rolling out another sheet.

“What do we do now?”

“I’m going to roll this sheet of dough out. We’ll place it over the one and seal each spoonful of the filling into it’s own package. Once that’s done we cut them apart. We’ll boil them up for dinner.”

My stomach let out a loud growl. She looked at me.

“Did my son not feed you lunch?”

“Um, well, yes, but it’s not his fault.”

I could feel my cheeks burning. I couldn’t see an easy way to confess to the mother of my boyfriend that I was too busy trying to get her son out of his suit and into bed with me. She laughed.

“I can imagine. Once Ferdi gets your tea prepared, we’ll get you something to eat. Not too much. I want to see you eat full plate and then some of my ravioli.”

“I will do my best.”

“Sit down. I’ll get you some bread and olive oil.”

She pulled a loaf of bread out and cut five, thick slices off it. She then poured a good measure of an oil that looked green in the bottle into a bowl and set it in front of me.

“Are you joining me?”

“No. That is all for you.”

“Why are you trying to fatten me up?”

“You need some meat on your bones to make carrying all my grand babies easier.”

As soon as she said grand babies I spit the bit of bread I had just put into my mouth across the table. I then took to coughing like I was choking. Once I stopped coughing the tears started falling, as they did whenever someone mentioned babies to me. I didn’t sit crying for very long before she came over to the table and had me in a bear hug while I was still sitting in my chair.

“After losing my oldest boys to the war, Reino is my next hope to be a grandmother. I’m sorry if you haven’t talked about babies yet.”

She was quiet while I composed myself. I noticed that Mr. Bianchi had disappeared.

“It’s not that we haven’t talked about them. We haven’t, but that’s not what’s upset me.”I paused and took a deep breath. I had to slow myself down. I hated this topic more than anything, but she deserved an explanation for the tears. “I’ve been told I can’t have children. I hate it. I know that’s why my soon to be ex-husband is now in the arms of another woman. I don’t want to let that happen to Reino and me, but I don’t know how to tell him. I don’t want him to think that I’m pushing to get married again because I’m not. I’m happy with the way things are in my life for the first time in a very long time, but that is always in the back of my mind. There have been a few times I’ve nearly blurted it out to him. I’m trying to ruin my own happiness, I think.”

“And why would someone tell you that you can’t have babies? No one knows for sure.”

“When the influenza was so bad right around the same time as the war, I got sick. I was really sick. Bernard planned my funeral and everything. My parents came home from a trip to Chicago in a hurry, slid off the road and died in an accident.”

“But you didn’t die from the influenza. That means you’re strong.”

“Strong enough to live, I guess. I was apparently pregnant when I got sick and didn’t know it. I had a horribly messy miscarriage from what they tell me. When I was relatively well again, they informed me that they thought the miscarriage had hurt me so much that I’d never get pregnant again along with informing me of my parents’ deaths. It was a horrible time in my life. It’s taken me nine years to be happy again. I’m not sure I want to risk that by telling Reino I can’t have children.”

“There are a lot of unwanted children in the country who need good parents. That is always an option. Reino loves you. He looks at you like he looked at Emma, but I shouldn’t tell you that story if you don’t know it already.”

“I know it because Shirley told me about her. I worry this is all simply a wonderful dream that I’ll wake up from and realize that I’m still unhappily married to Bernard while he enjoys the presence of his mistress.”

I wrapped my arms around her ample waist. I was never as close to my parents as Reino obviously was. I wondered what it was like to have a mother who cooked and cleaned and doted on you. From where I was sitting, it looked like a marvelous life. I had loved my parents, but they raised me how they had been raised. If I did marry Reino and we did adopt, I wanted a different life for our children. 

“You tell Reino in your own time in your own way. I don’t know how ready he is to get married. Based on being married to his father, work takes up a lot of his time.”

“Will he get bored with me?”

“Bored? Sweet girl, love doesn’t get bored. It changes over time, but it’s never bored. You have greater worries than boredom if you marry my son. Just know that if work ever takes him from you for too long, you can always come here for a friendly ear. I’ll know exactly what you’re going through.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bianchi. I appreciate that very much.”

“What is this Mrs. Bianchi business? You call me Renata or Mama if the mood strikes you to do so. It sounds like you lost yours before you were done needing her.”

I didn’t have to say anything. She continued to hold me. It was definitely nice to feel like someone’s child again. The moment was interrupted by my stomach growling again making both of us laugh.

“I guess my body is trying to tell me it’s hungry and it’s not happy I teased it with bread.”

She let go of me and pushed the plate of bread towards me. I picked up the piece I had already started eating. It was so good. I knew I’d had bakery baked bread before, but I was certain I’d never had homemade bread. I dipped a small piece in the olive oil. It was a different taste, but it wasn’t bad. She patted my shoulder. 

“You eat and I’ll finish up the ravioli. Next time I’ll teach you the filling mixture and dough recipes and you can see how they’re made from start to finish.”

“I’d like to learn how to make lasagna and Reino wants me to learn how to make an apple pie.”

“Of course he does. He loves his mama’s apple pie. Eat now.”

Mr. Bianchi reappeared from thin air. I suspected that he was sensitive to when women needed some time to chat and knew how to make himself scarce. He made me a perfect cup of tea.

When Reino returned, the three of us were sitting around the table drinking our tea and chatting. He greeted me first and then greeted his mother. I felt bad, but she gave me a smile when Reino and Mr. Bianchi left to discuss what had happened at the meeting.

“It’s only right. A man is supposed to leave his parents and be with his wife.”

“But I’m not his wife.”

She just patted my hands.

“Not yet, Vivian, but you will be eventually.”

“How do you know?”

“A mother knows.”

And for some reason that only added to my happiness.


	13. Chapter 13

After finishing the dinner Mama insisted we stay to eat, Hayes took us back to Reino’s house to get ready for going to the Bordeaux. After spilling all my emotional past to Mama, I wasn’t really feeling up to it, but I was afraid Reino would want to leave me with his parents to go through his usual nightly routine. Not that it would have been a bad thing to spend more time at their house, but all I really wanted was to be with Reino. If I had to go to a smoky speakeasy to do it, so be it.  


We walked through the house, hand in hand while Hayes made himself comfortable in the kitchen. We were comfortable enough with each other that the silence didn’t beat us down, but I could tell by his mannerisms that something was bothering him.

“Reino, is there something wrong?” I asked once we were at the top of the stairs.

“Papa told me you and Mama had a heart to heart talk while I was gone.”

“Yes, we started out putting the filling in the ravioli and then my stomach growled. She cut a bunch of bread for me and insisted I eat and then we talked and then we had tea.”

“Papa seemed to think there was something serious discussed.”

“It was girl talk, that’s all.”

He nodded and led me to his room. He sat down in one of the chairs in the sitting area he had arranged in one corner. Before I could sit in the other chair he pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me.

“Vivian, please don’t keep secrets from me. I know everyone has them, but I would prefer we not have any between us.”

“What I told your mother is hard for me to talk about. I want to because I want you to know everything, but it’s something that still hurts me. I’m also afraid that you’ll shut me out of your life if you know this one thing even if Mama is sure you won’t do that.”

“Please? I need to stop imagining the huge monster hiding in your past.”

I took a deep breath. I didn’t want him to continue thinking I was some perfect woman, so I had to tell him.

“Fine. I can’t have children. There. Now you know.”

He looked at me with the strangest look on his face.

“And how do you know this? Just because you and Bernard didn’t doesn’t mean with someone else-“

“I got sick with influenza during the epidemic. I was pregnant when I got sick. I didn’t know I was pregnant, but I lost the baby while I was sick. The doctors told me I would never get pregnant again from the damage they thought the miscarriage did to me. They were right, I never did.”

He hugged me tight to him to the point that I was afraid he was going to break a bone or something. By the time he let me go, I was crying again. 

“I’m sorry, Vivian. Papa made it sound like something that could destroy my whole future. If I had known it was this emotional for you, I wouldn’t have made you tell me.”

“I have been wanting to tell you for a while now, but I was afraid of you pushing me away. I’m certain that would kill me.”

“As it would me. So, where do we want to go tonight? To the Bordeaux or maybe one of my other places? It’s completely up to you and what you want.”

“Can we just stay here so I can stay wrapped up on your lap? I don’t know if I could handle going out in public tonight.”

“I think that sounds wonderful, but-“

“I know. You need to go keep an eye on things. I’m good with wherever as long as you don’t expect me to dance for you tonight. I’m emotionally and physically drained.”

He got quiet and didn’t say anything in reply. He just kept hugging me to him periodically. I was a little worried. If there was anything I had learned about Reino, it was that a quiet Reino was a thinking Reino. I wondered what he was thinking about.

“Let me make some calls. While I do that, you get into something comfortable for an evening in.”

“Doing what?”

“Do you like to read? We could sit in the library and read a good book. Or a bad book. Whichever you prefer.”

“This could be dangerous.”

“Why?”

“You’ve found my only other weakness. I might not ever leave the library.” 

He kissed me before getting us both out of the chair. 

“I’m going to go talk to Hayes and make a couple of telephone calls.”

“Is Hayes going to stay around here?”

“I’m going to send him home to Shirley.”

“In that case I’m going to get into my nightgown.”

“Marvelous. I’ll be right back.”

He left and I looked around the bedroom. I wouldn’t have minded spending an evening in that very room with Reino. There was always time after the library that would need to be filled. I was more looking forward to getting to spend some time with just him doing things every day, average people did together. 

Deciding that I’d better get into my nightgown, I looked for my trunk. It hit me; the trunk was still in the kitchen. I didn’t know if I dared go down to get something out of it or not. I left the room and tried to make as much noise as possible to announce that I needed to come downstairs.

Hayes and Reino were in a serious discussion together. I don’t think either one of them even noticed I was in the room. I couldn’t have eavesdropped on their conversation if I had wanted to do so they were talking so quietly. Fortunately, I didn’t want to eavesdrop. I got my nightgown and a robe out of my trunk after a lot of trial and error searching in the dark. I was back in Reino’s bedroom before he made it back upstairs. 

He walked into the room as I had just finished taking my dress off. I wouldn’t have known he was in the room if he hadn’t let out a low whistle. I grinned at him over my shoulder as I unhooked my brassiere and let it fall to the floor before slipping my nightgown on. The hem of it hadn’t even reached the floor before Reino was behind me and taking the nightgown back off.

“Now, you can’t tease a man like that. If you want to show it off, you need to show it off, Vivian.”

I turned to face him and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Would you like to see all of it, Mr. Bianchi?”

His hands slid down my back, between bare skin and my panties, the only thing I still had on, but not for much longer.

“I would very much like to see it all, thank you.”

He picked me up and carried me the short distance to the bed. I wanted him undressed and instead he stood over me looking me up and down. I became very self conscious of my body and tried to cover myself up. He knelt on the bed over me to move my hands.

“What’s wrong? Why are you trying to cover yourself?”

“I’m just a little uncomfortable with you staring at me like that. You’re going to find something wrong with me if you keep doing that.”

He slid his jacket and his vest off before loosening his tie to take it off too. He kissed me before he found that sensitive spot on my neck he liked so much earlier in the day. 

“There isn’t anything about you that isn’t perfect, Vivian. I could stare at you all day and never find an imperfection. I’m having a moment where I really can’t believe that you’re mine. I keep expecting you disappear.”

I reached out to caress his cheek. He had a light growth of hair. It tickled my fingers and made me giggle.

“I’m not going anywhere, Reino Bianchi. You’ve introduced me to your mother. You might be stuck with me.”

“That would not be a bad thing. Should I go shave?”

“And leave me laying here, naked, all by myself?”

“You’re right. No man in his right mind should ever think that’s a good idea.”

I started playing with his top button on his shirt. I wanted to unbutton his shirt, but I didn’t want to push things too fast again. I decided to take the risk. This time he didn’t fight me. His eyes never left my face the whole time I worked to get him out of his shirt and then his slacks until he was as naked as I was.

I had spent a good part of the day imagining what I would do once we were to this point and yet I didn’t know what to do. I started fidgeting which killed the mood a little.

“Vivian, what are you doing?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure where to put my hands. I’m not sure whether I should be touching you or not. I’m just not sure what to do.”

“Why are you so unsure of yourself?”

“Bernard didn’t like to be touched or kissed at all. I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For being an inexperienced, experienced woman.”

“If you feel like touching me, please do so. I know I want to touch you and will on my own whim. You didn’t have any problems this morning.”

“I know. I think I was still slightly drunk.”

“Vivian, put your hands on me. Now.”

“But-“

“No buts. Now.”

I let my hands go where they wanted to go. Reino liked it, if the passion he showed me was any indication. He wasn’t lying when he said he’d touch me on his whim. Bernard had only cared about one part of my body. Reino made me tingle from head to toe until he paid any attention to that one spot and that was only to bring both of us to a deliciously orgasmic ending.

Afterwords as we laid snuggled together, I marveled at how right it all felt.

“So is this what sex is supposed to be?”

“This what?”

“Even on our honeymoon, it was just something I had to endure while he seemed to be the only one to derive any pleasure from it. If I tried to do anything that might make it more fun for me, he had a tantrum.”

“How could he have enjoyed himself if you weren’t enjoying it?”

“I don’t know. If you’d like to ask him and maybe correct his thinking, I wouldn’t complain.”

He laughed and hugged me closer to him. It was so nice wanting to be that close to him; bare skin to bare skin creating plenty of heat.

“I’m not sure that would help the situation with him at all. Maybe once everything is said and done we can let him know how much better I am as a lover. I know my ego will never get tired of being told how wonderful I am.”

“Better lover and a better man. I will never get tired of telling you that. You know, this is the first time I haven’t wanted to get immediately out of bed. I don’t want to move from this spot ever.”

“We’ll eventually have to get food or some other equally tedious thing.”

“Eventually, but for now I can pretend that we don’t ever have to leave this moment.”

“This is definitely worth not leaving-“

The sounds of squealing brakes and rapid gunfire interrupted his statement. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he pulled me against him and started rolling until we were both on the floor. 

“Keep low and get into the bathtub.”

“But-“

“Go. Now.”

I did as he instructed as he rolled over to his closet. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I said a silent prayer for him as I slid down into the bathtub. I had to slap my hands over my face as the sounds of a gun firing and bullets flying came from not too far from me. I wanted to look over the side of the tub, but I feared what I might see. I scrunched myself down into the bottom of it and closed my eyes.

As quickly as all the noise started, it all stopped. All noise except someone screaming. Before I could go try to find who was screaming, I realized I was the one screaming. Knowing I was the one screaming didn’t make it stop. It wasn’t until Reino ran into the bathroom and pulled me out of the bathtub and into his arms that the screaming stopped and the tears started.

He collapsed against the wall, sitting himself on the floor with me in his lap. His hands roamed my body. All that did was make me cry harder.

“Shhhh. It’s okay. They’re gone. They’re gone now. We’re okay and they’re gone.”

That made me cry even harder.

“What was that?” I finally managed to ask between sobs.

“That was a hit organized by those who think I’m not strong enough to stay in the position I’m in currently.”

“So, it didn’t have anything to do with our Bernard trouble?”

“I’m beginning to suspect that my problems I’m having with the feds originate from Bernard. This was from in town.”

“What do we do now? Hayes is at home. We can’t stay here. What do we do?”

“We can stay here. We’ll be just fine to stay here. Get your nightgown and robe on. I’m going to get something to sleep in on and then we’ll go to the safe place. Trust me.”

“Other than being here in a hailstorm of bullets, you haven’t led me wrong yet.”

“We need to move fast. Sometimes they do come back.”

Working together we stood up. I found my nightgown and panties exactly where I had left them. I quickly put them on while Reino covered up his muscle bound, sweat slicked body by some blue pajamas that looked like they were silk. He picked up a rather large, scary looking gun before reaching for my hand.

“Stay behind me. If it’s who I think it is, they’re only after me.”

“Won’t they kill me to keep there from being witnesses?”

“Something like that.”

“If I have to die, it’s better to be with you.”

He pulled me to him to give me a passionate kiss.

“Behind me.”

“Yes.”

He kept hold of my hand as he crept out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I had no choice but to follow him. In the hallway, he stopped and opened the door to the butler’s pantry. He tried to quietly open the door. Either every sound was magnified or the door was incredibly loud. Once he had it open, he pulled me through it but didn’t bother closing it again. He reached down to the floor and pulled up a handle deftly hidden in the wood grain. He pulled it opening a door that revealed a black hole.

“You go down first. Hurry.”

I felt with my foot and hit a step. They were steep stairs, but I managed to find the bottom. Reino was nearly completely down when gunfire erupted again. He closed the door and latched it from the inside, several times from the sound of it. I heard a click as muted lights came on. There was a bed, a wall-less bathroom and a small kitchen.

“We’ll be safe in here.”

“What happens if they come in and fire into the floor figuring there was nowhere else for us to go?”

“We’ll be safe. I promise. Do you need anything?”

“Yes, something strong to help me sleep.”

“An old fashioned?”

“That would work.”

He walked to a cabinet in the kitchen and pulled out the ingredients and before I knew it, he was handing me a drink. I took a sip.

“You’re quite the bartender.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry it’s so sparse. I never thought I’d have to bring a woman down here with me.”

“Why not?”

“After Emma, wait, I should confess my dark secret to you.”

“You don’t have to, Reino. Shirley told me. You don’t have to relive it.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and was quiet. I could tell that even if I asked him not to relive it, he was reliving it anyway. I didn’t know what to do for him to make him stop. I didn’t want to see him hurting.

“And there wasn’t anything I could do for her. I just had to sit there and watch her slip away. She was fine at breakfast. By lunch she had the chills and was dizzy. She was dead by dinner time the next day. It all happened so fast and even with access to everything with my father’s connections in the world, there wasn’t anything I could do to save her. That hurt the worst.”

I sat down next to him on the bed and pulled him into my arms. We sat like that until we both were so tired we couldn’t keep our eyes open. It was nice to go to asleep so close to him and sober enough to remember it.


	14. Chapter 14

After Reino’s house was shot up, I figured we would stay with his parents until his house was repaired. They did offer, but Reino decided it wouldn’t be good for the family for us to do that for very long. We did stay with them until we found another place to live. If someone was out to get him and someone was, possibly, out to get me, we needed to be somewhere we wouldn’t be a danger to those we loved. 

“We could always go back to my apartment.”

“They’ll look for us there, sweetheart.”

We were the only ones up. Mama was working on teaching me some basic kitchen skills, so I could make tea and brew coffee. She added a few recipes to my breakfast knowledge. Reino was sipping the coffee I made while he read through the paper. I was doing simple and making scrambled eggs.

“We’ve been here for a week. I love your family. Your sisters are very sweet to me and your brothers are as protective of me as you are. However, I would prefer not to feel like we have an audience after we go to bed.”

He folded the paper down and looked at me over the top of it.

“You wouldn’t feel that way if you weren’t so vocal about what you like and don’t like every time our clothes are off.”

I could feel my face burning. Since our first night together I had gotten more vocal about what he was doing that I liked and what I didn’t like. I wasn’t the only one. He didn’t hesitate to tell me when I was doing something that turned him on. Actually, he was more vocal about that than I was. He liked giving directions and I followed well enough. 

“You aren’t exactly quiet yourself, Mr. Bianchi.”

As I stirred the eggs, I only heard the rustling of the newspaper. I figured he wasn’t going to get into an argument who made more noise. Initially it had been a little strange staying in what had been his room growing up. It only took one night for me to get over that. I gave the eggs another stir when I felt Reino’s warm arms wrap around me from behind. His lips found one of the other sensitive spots he found on my neck. I went weak kneed standing in front of the stove. Thank goodness he had a good grip on me or I’d have fallen to the floor.

“That’s what I like my girl to do; be weak in the knees for me.”

His hands wandered wherever they pleased as my nightgown was the only barrier to my body. He knew just were to touch me to make me respond like some common jezebel, but I enjoyed sex with him more than I ever considered enjoying it with Bernard.

“Reino, if you don’t stop now, Mama will never forgive us for defiling her kitchen.”

His hands stopped roaming. I moaned in displeasure.

“Finish cooking the eggs and I’ll take you upstairs behind a properly closed and locked door to finish this.”

I turned my head to look at him.

“Promise?”

He kissed my cheek.

“Always.”

He gave me firm pat to my rear end before sitting down to finish his coffee. I shivered and took the eggs off the stove and divided them between two plates. I gave the bigger pile to him as I never seemed to have as much appetite in the morning unless I’d been drinking the night before. Reino had been visiting his clubs, but he wasn’t closing them down and was usually back home with me before I fell asleep. He said he needed to be seen, but there were others in his organization that could see to the little details.

I set his plate down. He reached for a fork and started eating without putting down the newspaper. I was fine with it. Part of what he was doing was apartment hunting for us. I was too busy trying to quiet my body down so I could eat to really concern myself. However, Mama had other ideas.

“Reinaldo Bianchi. I raised you better than to ignore your beloved over breakfast to read the newspaper.”

“Good morning, Mama.”

He got up to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. She didn’t make me get up. She came over to me to plant a kiss on my cheek and give me a hug.

“I don’t mind, Mama. He’s searching for some place for us to go. I’d never forgive myself if something would happen to anyone in this house because we’re here.”

She waved off my concerns.

“With my Antonio and Marco still in the family business, it’s no different than when Ferdinando was involved in it. If it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go and whether you’re here or not will have nothing to do with that.”

“Vivian is also afraid that we’re too loud for all the delicate ears in the house.”

Reino took great pleasure laughing at how red my face turned. On some level I was okay that she knew I was intimate with her now eldest son, but I didn’t like admitting it out loud. It didn’t help when she started laughing.

“My dear, my children have heard worse. His papa and I aren’t ones to be quiet either. Being loud means you’re having fun.”

She patted my shoulder as I felt like I was going to pass out from embarrassment. I couldn’t believe how easily they were having a conversation about our sex life and their sex life. There were very few boundaries in this family. I started to hyperventilate. Only then did Reino move. He pushed me away from the table and put my head between my knees. I never new that was supposed to help, but maybe just not hearing them talking anymore calmed me down. 

“Sorry to scare you.”

“What brought that on?”

“I can’t believe how openly you’re joking about something so deeply personal.”

He hugged me to him.

“I’m sorry. I forget that you didn’t grow up like I did. Some things are still not to be talked about between parents and children in the world you grew up in.”

“You make me sound like I grew up on a different planet instead of just a couple of blocks from you.”

He started chuckling.

“Can you imagine if we had met before Bernard came into your life? Think about how much fun the past few years would have been?”

“It would have been nice. Being this happy could be addicting.”

“It could be. Do you want to finish eating now?”

“I probably should. Are we going to go looking at places again today?”

“Yes, but Isadore and Fletcher are coming with us. Hayes is a great driver and a great bodyguard, but we need to be smarter, especially since we’re going over to St. Charles to look around.”

“Will you two be safe there? What happens if they figure out you are still very close?”

“We’ll be safe there, Mama. They’re bringing me a car that I can drive myself. I want Hayes available to Vivian if she’d need to go shopping or just to get out and stretch her legs.”

“Is it safe for you to drive yourself? If you’re better off with Hayes, I don’t need him.”

“Yes, you do and that’s the end of the story.”

“Make sure I have a huge stack of books every morning and I’ll be perfectly contented.”

“No, Vivian. It needs to be this way.”

“I won’t have you making things unsafe for you.”

“And I won’t allow you to do the same thing. Hayes is there for your safety and as a way to not be cooped up in the same place. Don’t pout or I’ll leave Isadore with you too.”

“Who is Isadore?”

“He’s a good boy. His papa died when he was young, so we took him in and practically raised him with the rest of the family. His mama had so many babies to care for after his papa died. Isadore was able to help the family financially at least.”

“So you trust this Isadore?”

“With my life and more importantly with yours.”

“You know his reputation with women. Do you really want him spending a lot of time with her alone?”

“I trust Vivian. I trust Isadore to no do anything he’d regret.” I ate my last bite of egg. “You should go get dressed. They’ll be here soon.”

“What about your promise?”

“I’ll keep it after we’ve looked at a couple of places.”

“Tease.”

I got up and went to get dressed. Reino’s youngest sister Liliana was sitting on the bottom step.

“Liliana, why don’t you go out to the kitchen and eat some breakfast?”

“I wanted to talk to you first as soon as I heard Reino mention his name.”

“Whose name?”

“Isadore.”

“Why?”

“Let me move with you. My only chance to stop being treated as a child and seen as an adult is to move out of this house even if I need to hire myself out as domestic help. I could be a nanny when you and Reino have babies. Until then I can cook and clean.”

I felt like I was being stabbed in the heart, but I didn’t hold that against her. She didn’t know any better.

“And what does this have to do with Isadore? Is he the one you want to see you as an adult instead of a child?”

She found something on her shoes very interesting before nodding to me I sat down next to her and put my arm around her shoulders.

“Have you considered that you’re safer here? Reino and I have to leave because no one here is safe while we’re here. No one will be safe where we’re going either.”

“But, I could spend time with Isadore.”

“You’re only seventeen, sweetheart. You have plenty of time to fall in love with someone.”

“But, I am in love with someone. He just doesn’t see me as a woman who could make him happy. I need the chance for him to see me doing more than little kid stuff.”

“I understand that, but I don’t think this is the time. Once things calm down, I would appreciate some help because I’m less than useless with domestic chores. I couldn’t live with myself if something would happen to you because of what’s going with Reino and me. I don’t think he could live with himself either.”

“No, he couldn’t. That’s why he told her no last night. Liliana, I told you the same thing Vivian has said. Once this has passed, you may come live with us wherever we make our new home. We only want you safe, baby sister.”

“And that’s part of why I’m still seen as a child. Thank you for hearing me out, Vivian.”

She stood up to walk away and I stood up and stopped her from leaving immediately. I pulled her to me for a hug.

“I was married at seventeen, Liliana. Trust me, wait a year or two. There’s more to life than becoming someone’s wife as soon as possible.”

She finally put her arms around me and returned my hug.

“Thank you, Vivian.”

“Go eat breakfast, Liliana or I’ll tell Mama about you coming to Vivian with this after being told not to do so.”

Her eyes got wide and she let go of me to run into the kitchen. Reino replaced her in my arms.

“Thank you for making the same argument I did without us having to talk about it. I never realized before that we get along so well because we think alike.”

“It’s nice.”

“It is. Go get dressed.”

I nodded and finally made it up the stairs to put some clothes on so we could find us a place to live.

 

We were looking at the second apartment. Fletcher and Isadore positioned themselves by the front door. I could see why Liliana thought she was in love with Isadore. He was quite handsome with dark hair, dark eyes and a cleft in his chin. I could only imagine the wake of broken hearts he and Reino could leave behind without even trying. Fletcher was more menacing than handsome, but I was certain if he smiled, he would be reasonably good looking.

“So there will be four of us here and only two bedrooms. That doesn’t make sense to me.”

“One of them would be our room and the other would be for whoever is sleeping so whoever is on duty could have the living room to be between us and the door.”

“What about Shirley?”

“What about her?”

“If Hayes is here, shouldn’t she be here too?”

Reino shook his head and kissed me on my temple.

“Love, people understand that when we’re in the middle of a war, they might not see their loved ones for days or weeks until everything is straightened out. It’s a fact of life we accept when we accept the perks of this life.”

“So it’s going to be me and you three living wherever we find to live until this whole mess is over?”

“Yes. You didn’t understand that before?”

“It’s not that. I guess I really didn’t think about it before now.”

“Would you be comfortable here?”

I took a look around. It was roomy and Reino had furniture ready to be delivered that I had helped him pick out. It would do for a short period of time. At least I hoped it would only be for a short period of time.

“I can be. It won’t be forever. Right? Will all of you be comfortable here?”

Reino looked at Fletcher and Isadore who only laughed. 

“We’ve crammed more men into smaller spaces because we had to do so. This will be like living in a palace.”

I nodded and looked around the apartment again. It was nicer than my old apartment and I could be with Reino while we worked on getting things back to normal. 

“Do we have any place else to look?”

“We do, but this place is perfect.”

“How so?”

“We aren’t too far from the water. If we needed a fast get away, we can find a place to hide a boat to get you away from here.”

“Escape via boat. That doesn’t sound fun, but I guess I can see the appeal. It looks like we’ve found our new place. When do we move in?”

“Now. With one telephone call we can get Hayes here with our stuff and we’ll be ready to begin our lives away from my parents’ house.”

“What do I need to do?”

He pulled me into his arms. I noticed that Isadore and Fletcher found somewhere to look as soon as he did that.

“Direct the furniture deliverymen where you want the different living room items to go. They’ll be here soon.”

He kissed me before he left with Fletcher and Isadore. I looked at my new home and decided where I wanted everything to go. I hoped it was going to be truly temporary, but it was starting to feel more permanent. I hoped that would be the only major change in my life I was going to have to adjust to at that point in time. Things were changing too fast for me.


	15. Chapter 15

After two weeks our lives fell into a routine. Reino continued to put in appearances at his different speakeasies while he, his brothers and some of their associates worked to figure out who had tried to kill him and by proxy, me. I argued with him over why he had to put in personal appearances and he explained that he couldn’t let whoever had done it think he was scared. When I asked to show them I wasn’t scared either, he would laugh and kiss me and go off on his way. I didn’t care for it, but I didn’t argue with him. He had a reason for everything. I accepted it. 

One morning after finishing off a jar of syrup and the last of our butter making Reino’s super secret pancake recipe Hayes offered to take me out for some grocery shopping.

“We get a delivery in two days. We’ll live without those two items until then.”

Hayes continued reading the paper.

“Aren’t you planning on making mashed potatoes tonight at dinner? Hard to do that without butter and we are getting low on milk.”

“Are you trying to make me get out of the house today? You’re pushing awful hard.”

I flipped a pancake a little too hard and splashed batter over the pan. I heard the newspaper rustle. I took that as a sign he had stopped reading it.

“You haven’t hardly left the house since we moved in here. Reino suggested this morning that I do my best to get you out of the apartment and into the sun.”

“Mr. Protect Vivian at all costs suggested we venture outside? I find that hard to believe.”

“Well, he did. We all know that you’re enjoying your reading, but it’s boring for a woman who used to close down the Bordeaux with Reino as often as she used to.”

“Reino? Not Mr. Bianchi?”

I set the plates of pancakes down in front of our places at the table and sat down.

“I’ve been friends with him since before he became Mr. Bianchi. I call him that for appearances. He’s afraid for you, Miss Vivian. He’s afraid that everything falling into place like it did hasn’t been good for you. He doesn’t want that inner light you radiate that he, and all of us, love about you to die. Staying cooped up in one place can do that very easily.”

I sighed. I had been feeling restless, but his worry for me had rubbed off on me just a little too well. Bernard was dragging his feet getting the requested paperwork to Judge Thomas. According to Nathan, his lawyer would deliver a piece of information, only to be told it wasn’t exactly what they needed and he was going based on what his client told him he needed and so things were getting drug out. I knew it was because Bernard still hoped to persuade me to call it all off. It depressed me along with being away from everyone. I needed some girl talk.

“You’re right. I don’t want him to worry about something silly like this. He has enough on his mind. Okay, let’s finish eating and then we’ll get in the car and go somewhere. I can go buy butter and milk. I never have before. Is that strange?”

“No, Miss Vivian. It’s not strange. Oh, Reino said while we’re out I should call you just Vivian so it would appear that I’m not your chauffeur, but a couple out shopping together or whatever you’d like to go do.”

“That would be fine. I’d question anyone else, but I know you’d never do anything to upset Shirley.”

“Never. I love her too much. I do whatever I can work wise to let her do what she wants to do in life.”

“She’s a master of hair and make up. She could do so much better away from here.”

“She doesn’t want to do hair and make up all her life. She has bigger goals.”

“Like what?”

“I hope she doesn’t get mad at me for telling you this, but she writes, a lot. She’d love to be published more than anything, but she feels like she needs to do even more writing first.”

“What does she write?”

“Romance novels mostly.”

“Is she any good?”

“She has definitely shown improvement. What she’s working on now sounds very interesting, but she won’t let me read any of it until it’s complete. I should see if she would let you read some of her work.”

“I would love that. Eat up. We need butter and milk and I guess I’d better find something else to do to waste my day. How much cash does Reino have stashed around here?”

“How much do you need?”

“Enough for a new dress.”

“We can do that.”

“Wonderful.”

Once breakfast was over, we got the kitchen cleaned up and were off to the car Reino left for us to use. It definitely wasn’t the Rolls Royce, but it attracted less attention in St. Charles. It fit in with what people drove there. Mostly, to me, it didn’t scream chauffeured gangster. I figured that was the feeling he was going for with the car.

His wasn’t much better. He, Isadore and Fletcher looked like three men sharing a ride to work in St. Louis every morning when they left. He even took to not wearing a suit when he left the apartment. It fit in with the working class Joe persona he wanted to leave with our neighbors, but I missed the suits. Correction, I missed the ties. He had found some interesting uses for them, but without them on him every day, we didn’t always have one handy when we were alone after dinner.

Before we left the apartment, Hayes handed me a wad of cash.

“I would flatten them out and only put some of it in your clutch. The rest of it can stay with me if you’d prefer. You could flirt your way into a new dress if you’d like.”

If he hadn’t winked at me, I might have slapped him. I couldn’t stand Shirley ever thinking I would betray our friendship. She was about the only person I had for a friend since everything with Bernard happened.

“If we’re just playing parts, I might.” I pointed to his wedding band. “Are you going to act like I’m the mistress you’re taking for an afternoon outing?”

“It could fit.”

“Let’s go before I change my mind.”

He held the door open for me and followed me out of it. Instead of waiting for the car as I normally would have, we walked to where it was parked. It blended in with the other cars in the parking lot. He pulled the keys out of his pocket. He didn’t have time to get us into the car before men in suits came from nowhere and attacked us. Several of them surrounded Hayes to separate us. He fought back as they drug me away. The last thing I saw before they put something over my head was Hayes falling to the ground and not getting up. I screamed his name at the top of my lungs before my world went black.

 

“She’s coming to.”

I heard voices before I could get my eyes to focus on faces. Once they did, I started screaming only to get smacked across the face. 

“Shut up.”

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

“What did you do to Hayes?”

“We left your boyfriend right where he fell. Hopefully he’ll still be alive when he’s found.”

I tried raising my arms to attack him for hurting Hayes, but my arms were tied at the wrist to the back legs of the chair while my legs were tied mid-calf to the front legs.

“Who are you and what do you want with me?”

Another hit.

“Careful, Rodolpho. You’re gonna want her recognizable when we dump her back near her boyfriend to be found.”

“True. We, Vivian, are the men who are going to persuade you to change your mind on divorcing Bernard. Your money helps him which, in turn, helps us. We’d like for that to not change.”

“Well, he’s going to have to figure out a way to live without my money. The judgement has already been handed down.”

“You’re going to rescind it.”

“No.” Another blow to my face. I was fairly certain they hadn’t broken any bones, yet, but I wasn’t going to be very pretty for a while. “I don’t know what Bernard thinks is going to happen if you guys kill me.”

“As your husband he’s going to get to keep your money without any fight from you. He doesn’t want you killed unless you won’t see things our way.”

“He’s delusional. Nathan helped me write an iron clad will that grants all my money to Reino’s family if something should happen to me. Even if Bernard won’t sign the papers, the judgement has been handed down and my money is mine.”

Rodolpho’s demeanor faulted for a moment before he turned to me.

“Reino? Who’s Reino? Didn’t you scream for Hayes?”

“Yes, I did because that was Reino’s chauffeur taking me out for an afternoon of shopping.”

He went pale as his mind chewed on what I had just said to him. 

“You’re Reinaldo Bianchi’s girlfriend?”

“Yes, I am. Something wrong?”

“Yes, Bernard Buschner is a dead man. You,” he pointed to the closest man to me, “cut her ties off now. We had better hope Hayes is still alive. Oh God. Where is Thurman? Someone find him. He’s a dead man too.”

He continued barking orders while the men around him ran around like clowns at the circus. I rubbed my wrists as soon as they were free to get some circulation back into them. I tentatively touched my face. I couldn’t see how it looked, but it hurt.

“We need to get you back to Hayes and meet with Reinaldo. He’s going to kill me and everyone in our organization for this. I want Thurman in this chair by the time I get back, if I come back. He has some questions to answer.”

He held his hand out to me. I took it and he helped me stand up. I was a bit unsteady on my feet with the numbness from the ties on my legs being every bit as tight as the ones on my wrists. We walked out of the room and down a maze of tunnels until we were outside. He put me into the front seat of a car before getting into the driver’s seat. I caught a glimpse of my face. It was swollen and there were purple bruises starting to come to the surface. I couldn’t help the tears that fell. It hurt to much to wipe them away. Rodolpho let me cry while he drove like a crazy man trying to get back to my apartment. 

“I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I am sincerely sorry for what we’ve done. I don’t know how he knew, but Bernard gave us a description of the car that would lead us to you. I put my newest man on the job of following the car because who can mess that up? Bernard never mentioned who you were dating and the new guy obviously didn’t recognize him.”

“And recognizing Reino would have prevented all this from happening?”

“Yes, his organization is friendly with ours. We’re working with him to figure out who tried to kill him.”

“What about the feds causing problems? Are you or Bernard responsible for that?”

“It’s not us. It might be Bernard. Involving the feds wouldn’t help us at all. Their sniffing around has us up in arms too. If Bernard is responsible for them, he is in even more trouble than he’s already in.”

“What are you going to do to him?”

I was slurring my words with the swelling going on around my mouth. It wasn’t easy to talk.

“You don’t worry your pretty little head about him. We’ll take care of him.”

“Don’t kill him.”

“What? Why? That is the easiest solution to the problem he’s caused all of us.”

“Force his lawyer to let the divorce go through. That’ll hurt him more than anything. Without my money and without his parents money to save him, he’ll be even worse off than if you hadn’t done something horrible to him.”

Rodolpho chuckled and smiled. He wasn’t a bad looking man when he smiled. He didn’t look quite as scary or as scared at that moment. 

“I know why Bianchi keeps you around. You think even more deviously than we do. If things don’t work out with you and Reinaldo, we could use a mind like yours in our organization. If there’s one left after he gets done with us.”

I smiled at him. Well, I tried to smile at him at least. It was getting difficult to move much of my face. The pain was becoming unbearable. No matter where I set my head it throbbed. I wondered how on earth anyone could go through something like that and stay sane. I realized that I really wasn’t supposed to ever leave wherever they had taken me. I signed something saying I changed my mind on the divorce and I disappeared. I should have been scared, but I knew that Reino would take care of this.

We pulled up outside my apartment building and Rodolpho helped me out of the car. I leaned heavily on him to get up the stairs. I didn’t know why, but I was suddenly very tired. 

“No, Vivian. You have to stay awake.”

“Rodolpho.”

At the sound of his name, he let go of me. I nearly hit the ground, but he recovered enough to keep that from happening. We just stood there until Reino came down the stairs and picked me up. Fletcher and Isadore appeared behind Rodolpho and we all went into our apartment. I expected that Reino would at least ask what happened, but he took me into our bedroom and laid me on the bed.

“He did quite a number on her.”

I tried to turn my head towards the voice but nothing would cooperate with me.

“I hurt.”

“Can we give her something for the pain, doctor?”

“I need to make sure he didn’t do anything but structural damage to her. I need her awake for that.”

“I don’t want her to be in pain.”

I could hear the distress in his voice. I reached for his hand.

“Let the doctor do what he needs to do. I’ll be okay.”

The doctor did what he called a neurological exam. I answered questions, he shined a light in my eyes and I answered some more questions. He finally pulled a syringe and vial from his bag.

“This will make her drowsy. Once it’s doing its job, I’ll examine her face to make sure he didn’t break anything.”

“Wait. Where’s Hayes? He isn’t still laying in the parking lot, is he?”

“He is resting in the other room. When he came to you were gone. He crawled to the nearest telephone and called me. He looks as bad as you do, but he’ll live. Let Dr. Minelli work.”

I felt a sharp sting as he gave me something for pain. Reino sat on the edge of the bed holding my hand. He was quiet and thinking again.

“What’s going through your head, Reino?”

“Just this morning we finally got answers on who tried to kill us. I was working on a plan to hit them hard and in the middle of it, I got the call from Hayes. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. I was afraid Brennan had got you. This is worse. Now I have to figure out what to do to someone who had been my ally. There’s still the issue of the feds to deal with. They get any closer to me, I’m going to be in a world of trouble.”

“Kill three birds with one stone.”

Reino looked at me funny and Dr. Minelli shined a light in my eyes again.

“What do you mean, Vivian? How can I take care of all these things in one fell swoop?”

“Get Rodolpho to call Brennan to arrange a meeting. He feels you’re about to get brought down by the feds and he wants to work with someone who isn’t so sloppy. Tip off the feds to the meeting. Brennan goes away, Rodolpho goes away and the feds have someone to show their bosses that they’re doing their jobs.”

“Do you suppose it’s just the drugs working?”

Dr. Minelli touched my face. I could feel it, but I didn’t flinch.

“Even if it is, her plan has a certain amount of genius to it.”

“It does and I’m wondering why I didn’t think of it first.”

Reino continued to hold my hand as the doctor poked and prodded at my face. Only once did I wince and that was when he looked at my nose. Whatever was in the shot he gave me made me feel pretty wonderful. I knew I was going to be miserable when it wore off, but I was pain-free and, apparently, had a great idea to share on how Reino could get out of his current predicament. I was feeling pretty good, for the most part.


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up to raised voices in the other room. Dr. Minelli was nowhere in sight. I would have liked to go search for him to get something to take myself out of the pain I was in, but I was afraid to go into the other room. 

“I think that plan is brilliant, Reino. I would accuse you of stealing it from your girlfriend.”

“Why would you accuse me of that?”

“She’s got a mind for these things. She understands that sometimes it’s better to make someone suffer rather than whacking them. However, I’m not going to give up anyone beyond Thurman for this plan.”

“I know your men know where you went. I also know they probably don’t expect you to return. So, this can go one of two ways, Rodolpho. You can agree to call Brennan and send three or four of your guys to meet him while I call the feds on all of you or you can be found in pieces here and there. The choice is up to you.”  
I had never heard Reino threaten anyone before. I wasn’t sure if I was frightened or happy that he was doing it because Rodolpho had hurt me. I didn’t know what it was going to be like being mixed up in Reino’s world when I met him, but I had certainly gotten a good taste of it in a very short amount of time. 

“Our family’s friendship goes back to even before our father’s were born. You won’t destroy that over one mistake, would you?”

“When it’s a mistake that did to the love of my life what it did to her, yeah, I’d say it is worth it. Have you seen her, Rodolpho? Have you seen what your guys did to her?”

I heard Rodolpho sigh. I hadn’t realized how thin the walls in that apartment were. My cheeks began to burn knowing that Hayes, Fletcher and Isadore heard everything that happened in our bedroom over the course of our stay there. Could a person die of embarrassment because I sure wanted to do so.

“I saw the bruises forming as I rushed her back here.”

“No. You need to see them as they are now. They’re worse.” I heard them get up out of their chairs and walk across the small living room. I wanted to act like I was asleep, but I also needed to see Reino. When he opened the door, I smiled at him. He came to sit down by me and took my hand as my face was too bruised for him to even consider touching.

“Why didn’t you let me know you were awake? I’ll get Dr. Minelli in here to give you something for pain.”

“It hurts to talk or do anything else,” I slurred through swollen lips.

He turned to Rodolpho who was cowering by the doorway.

“Do you see what your men did to her? Our family friendship means nothing when you do something like this to me.”

“His men didn’t do this to me.”

“What?”

“He did it.”

Reino was off the bed and hauled Rodolpho bodily back into the living room so fast it took me a few second to register what was going on. All I heard after that were sounds of a struggle. A moment later Dr. Minelli entered my room again. 

“I hear we’re awake and in pain again.”

“Yes,” I slurred.

“We can fix that.” He pulled a syringe out of his bag. One slight pinch later he patted my shoulder. “I’m going to look at your nose again, Vivian. It has me worried. Okay?” 

I nodded. It was easier than talking. It hurt as much the second time as it had the first time he examined it. I wanted Reino with me again, but based on the sounds coming from outside the door, he was otherwise occupied. Whether he was doing the beating or just supervising, I couldn’t tell, but he was involved.

“I don’t think he broke it. It’s probably going to be the last thing to heal though. Are you okay, Vivian?”

I nodded to him.

“Do you want me to stay with you? I will, but, quite frankly, Hayes is in worse shape than you and someone does need to be with him for these first twenty-four hours.”

“Go. I understand.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“I’ll be back to re-dose you before this dose wears off. I promise. I lost track of time.”

I tried to smile around the swelling, I gave him a small wave as he left my room and closed the door, muting the sounds only enough that they didn’t sound like they were taking place inside my room.

“Stop! I can only apologize so many times, Reino. What else do I have to do to atone for my sins?”

Silence that felt like it stretched on forever. Reino was thinking. About what, I wasn’t sure.

“Sacrifice some of your men to help me fix all of my problems.”

“But-“

“No. This is the only way to solve everything. For the record, yes, it was Vivian’s idea. She is very smart and can see things in a way that we don’t anymore because she is an outsider. Although, she has been very heavily baptized into this life in the past month. Her plan makes sense. Now, are you going to choose to see things my way or continue what we’re doing here? It’s your choice, Rodolpho.”

“Our families are friends,” Rodolpho sobbed. 

I could only imagine what damage Isadore and Fletcher had inflicted on him to make him sob like a child. Despite what Bernard had tricked him into doing to me, I felt   
sorry for the man. 

“And I’m giving you a way to keep our families friends. It’s all in your hands.”

More sobs. Tears fell freely from my eyes. I couldn’t stand listening to a grown man cry like that. Why didn’t the pain medicine make me fall asleep again? I was desperate for an escape from listening to what was doing on outside my bedroom. A heavy sigh.

“Do they have to be guys from my inner circle?”

“Rodolpho, do I strike you as someone who’s heartless? Of course it doesn’t have to be your inner circle. You surround yourself with men you trust as I do. To make you give any of them up would be like asking you to chop off your own arm. I’m not that cruel.”

“Fine, I’ll send four of my lower guys, including Thurman the idiot responsible for this mess, to meet with Brennan’s men.”

“The idiot responsible for this is Bernard, but I think you know how to deal with him.”

“Yes, he’s going to be allowed to live.”

“What?”

More beating sounded through the small space.

“What? It’s your girlfriend’s request. I’m only doing as she asked. Trust me, I think the slime should be given cement flippers and forced to swim too. She has a more devious plan in mind that will hurt him repeatedly.”

“Devious. And this devious plan would be?”

“Force him to sign the divorce papers and leave him destitute.”

“My love is a brilliant woman, is she not?”

“I offered her a job.”

“You’re a smart man.”

“Not as smart as you are, Bianchi. I’m not dating her.”

Finally there was laughter in the living room. Whatever Fletcher and Isadore did to him, Rodolpho took it like a man. I might have had an intense baptism into the world of gangsters and family business, but I still didn’t quite understand all the ins and outs of it all. My final though before falling asleep was that honor, having it and preserving it, meant something among Reino and his associates. Something in that thought comforted me.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate today!
> 
> I know! Two chapters inside of 10 minutes? I must be crazy! Or making up for the fact that I posted nothing yesterday and totally intended to do so. :-)

“Take your time, Miss Shaw. Just tell us which numbers were there when you were kidnapped.”

I looked at the lineup. Everything had been well rehearsed with me prior to choosing men from the lineup. I picked Thurman and a few others out from the lineup just as directed.

“Numbers two, three, five and seven.”

“Are you sure, Miss Shaw?”

“From the best of my memory, yes, they were definitely there.”

“Where there more?”

I rubbed the side of face where the swelling and bruising was still very evident even if it had faded in the weeks prior. The pain was still evident to me, but I had refused much in the way of pain medicine after the first couple of doses. Yes, they had taken care of the pain, but they had also made me physically ill. I couldn’t tolerate it.

“Possibly. I was just happy to get out of there with my life, sir. They gave me quite a beating and my memory is a little shaky sometimes.”

“But you’re sure those four where there?”

“Yes, sir. I definitely remember those four.”

“If we would think we capture anyone else who had anything to do with your kidnapping, may we call you back in to identify them?”

“Yes, sir. I would be more than happy to help out in any way I can.”

“Thank you, Miss Shaw. I’ll return you to Mr. Bianchi again.”  
We left the room. Reino wasn’t waiting where we had left him. I started to panic as I did whenever he wasn’t where he should be. 

“Where did Reino go?”

“I don’t know, but perhaps if you sit down and wait here, he’ll return shortly.”

I sat down where I had left Reino minutes earlier. I tried sitting down, but I kept standing up. I had started twitching nervously. I would be okay if I had someone I trusted with me. All alone made me a little more than nervous. By the time a door opened and Reino stepped out of it, I was shaking uncontrollably.

“Again we’re very sorry, Mr. Bianchi. You have to understand that the agent who thought you were involved in illegal business practices is new to the force. He was just trying to prove himself.”

“It is quite all right, Chief. You got the real culprits and the men who kidnapped my girlfriend forcibly. We appreciate what you’ve done for us.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re welcome. Perhaps you should join us for dinner sometime soon. I know Mama would love to see you and the misses.”

“We would love to-”

Reino turned to look at me and left the conversation before it was over. I barely registered that he was there until I could feel his lips kissing every bit of exposed skin on my face. I finally focused on him.

“Reino? You weren’t here.”

“Why did they leave you alone if I wasn’t here? I told them not to leave you sitting here alone.”

“I’ll talk with them, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Thank you. I need to get her out of here. She’s been different since this happened to her. I don’t blame her.”

“Do what you need to do.”

He picked me up and rushed out of the police station to the car where Hayes waited for us. We had finally gotten to move out of the apartment in St. Charles. It just meant we moved into a different apartment while Reino had some secret project being worked on. He wouldn’t tell me what he was up to, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I wanted off the street and away from the public. I needed to be somewhere with just him.

Before Hayes had even brought the car to a complete stop, Reino was out of the car with me in his arms. Hayes hardly had time to open the door to the building before Reino crashed through it. He had insisted on a street level apartment with this one. I hadn’t understood it before, but I understood why then. I couldn’t say I blamed him for not wanting to carry me up the stairs.

Once we were in the apartment, he carried me straight to the bedroom and set me on the bed. He got my shoes off me and left the rest of my clothes on. I wasn’t sure what he had planned. He took off his jacket, vest, tie and shoes before joining me. He moved over to me to take me in his arms. His plan was to just lie there. It was nice. He rubbed my back and smoothed my hair until I calmed down enough to be breathing normally.

“You weren’t there waiting for me.”

“I’m sorry. The chief wanted to apologize for the new guys thinking that I’m up to something illegal. I think we’re safe from the feds for a while, Brennan’s gang has had a major blow dealt to them and Rodolpho has been punished for doing what he did. For the first time in a while, we can breathe a little easier. What can I do to make you feel safe?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever feel completely safe ever again. Maybe once I’m not in so much pain it will be easier to move past everything. For now, being with you helps immensely.”

“Let Dr. Minelli give you something for the pain. If that will help you move beyond this fear, do it.”

“It makes me ill, Reino. What good will making the pain go away do if by taking it I want to throw up. I’m sure that would only make my face hurt worse.”

“If that makes you happy. Are you sure of nothing else I can do to help?”

“Tell me I’m beautiful even though I look like I lost the heavyweight fight.”

He placed his hands on either side of my head, avoiding the bruises he knew still really hurt and forced me to look at him.

“Always. I still want to beat Rodolpho until he’s black and blue from head to toe. I would have gladly turned him over to the feds even though our two organizations go back together far enough that no one alive remembers when we weren’t friends. It wouldn’t help me any, but it would make me feel better. He has sworn that he will seek no retribution for losing some of his men.”

“I think he’s happy he’s still alive. He wasn’t sure he’d walk out of our apartment when he brought me back. What about Brennan?”

“It’s going to take some time for them to get themselves organized again. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them for a while.”

“Even when they do, will I be in danger?”

“Not like you were when we had to leave. Oh, did I mention that I ran into Bernard the other day?”

“Was he able to walk away from running into you?”

“He wasn’t walking very well when I saw him, but it wasn’t me. Nathan said there was no problem getting him to sign the divorce decree. No, he had more than likely been visited by some of Rodolpho’s guys. It’s just more proof that Bernard isn’t very smart.”

“How so?”

“He kept bits of the truth from them and it didn’t help him. Actually it hurt him, a lot.”

“What was one of the other things that proved him stupid.”

“He cheated on you and gave you up without a fight. No one in his right mind would do that.”

I hugged him.

“I love you so much, Reino.”

“I love you too, Vivian.” He kissed me and I pulled away from him. “I’m sorry. Did that hurt you?”

“No, surprisingly. Let’s try that again.”

I pulled him to me. For the first time in over two weeks it didn’t hurt to kiss him. I didn’t stay focused on that for long as I started trying to get him out of what was left of his suit. He didn’t try to slow me down. He was truly one for making love not just having sex. 

I couldn’t explain why, but I needed both of naked and lying skin to skin as quickly as we could possibly get there. He must have understood because as soon as I leaned forward to try to get his slacks off him, he had the few fasteners on my dress undone and off me. Once every piece of clothing was off us and thrown into a pile on the floor, I felt I could slow down. I laid down next to him, trying to make as much skin touch as possible. He wrapped his arms around me and waited.

“That’s better.”

“If that makes you feel better, great. Can I ask why we did this?”

“Without having sex?”

“No. Why it was so important for everything to come off immediately?”

“I’m not sure. I just needed this. I need your warmth and the physical sensation of your skin against mine. We can get more physical if you’d like, but I’d really like to just be close to you right now. I need to know with more than one sense that you’re here with me.”

“We can move as fast or as slow as you’d like to right now. I’m okay with what you want.”

“Thank you. Hold me. That’s all I want right now.”

And he did hold me like I asked him to do and the evening did eventually end on an even more pleasurable note. It was perfect.

 

As time went on, I discovered that were certain perks to being in control of the wealth my parents left me. I was able to buy my own automobile. Reino insisted that it be a car he approved of, but other than that, he was fine with me driving and being able to take myself places. So what if he sent Isadore with me whenever he could and got away with it. I didn’t like letting him get away with that, but I had no choice. If I couldn’t have Reino with me, Isadore was a good second choice. He was handsome enough that he had the attention of every woman wherever we went. He was also intimidating enough that no man would ever approach me. I think that was Reino’s goal when he started sending him with me. Once the bruising and swelling went down enough that I looked like me again, I didn’t mind. I didn’t trust any men other than Reino, Hayes and Isadore. It made life easier.

“Escorting me around town like a doting uncle can’t be a fun assignment for you.”

“I don’t mind. I’d do anything for Reino.”

“Do you have a girlfriend, Isadore?”

He gave me a strange look and scooted away from me.

“I didn’t mean to do whatever I did to make you ask that question. I’m loyal to Reino.”

“You didn’t do anything to make me ask that question. I’m more curious. Mama says you have a reputation as a ladies’ man.”

“It’s an undeserved reputation. I flirt. I like to flirt and do anything I can to get a pretty woman to smile. Anything else would be unthinkable.”

“Why?”

He blushed. I could see why Liliana felt about him as she did. He was really a sweet man wrapped up in a gangster suit. 

“My heart belongs to someone and I want her to be my first and only.”

I nearly slammed on the brakes in surprise. I didn’t know why I assumed otherwise. I guess not everyone is Reino or me for committing to a relationship without the legal documentation.

“Is she someone I know?”

“You probably do, Miss Vivian. I’ve been in love with her for quite a while, but she’s barely old enough to get married. I think I’d wait for her for as long as it takes. I don’t want Mama thinking I’m taking advantage of her daughter.”

“Liliana?”

“No, Gianna. I feel bad that I’m nearly ten years older than her, but she’s all I can think about.”

“Oh dear. I should not have started this conversation with you.”

“Why not?”

I looked at him and he motioned to the road making me turn my attention back to it. I still didn’t have all the pieces of driving down yet, but I was getting better. I had only almost hit just one other car so far that day.

“Did you know Liliana thinks she’s in love with you?”

“But, she’s just a baby yet. Why would she think that?”

“She’s seventeen.”

“That’s just a baby still. It means I’m nearly fourteen years older than her.”

“Isadore, I’m going to need you to stop thinking like a man for a little while, okay?”

“Not sure how I’m going to do that, but I’ll give it a try.”

“Thank you. Now, consider this. I was married at seventeen. There were lots of girls I was in school with who married men in their late thirties. Fourteen years isn’t that much of a difference when it comes down to it. Do you have any idea how Gianna feels about you?” The blushing again. “I see. You’re going to break Liliana’s heart. Poor, poor Liliana.”

“In my defense,I didn’t know Liliana felt that way about me. She’s always been more like my baby sister than anything. I am not intentionally going to break her heart. It’s that I love another.”

I pulled into the driveway of our destination.

“Good. You get to tell her that tonight. She wants to come stay with Reino and I to prove that she’s not a child, but I suspect she’ll change her mind once she knows how you feel.”

“Once I’m able to ask for Gianna’s hand, won’t that let her know?”

“Isadore, if you wait until you’ve proposed to another woman to tell her that you aren’t interested in her, I will do everything in my power to make sure your life becomes a living hell. Do I make myself clear?”

“Vividly. Wow.”

“What?”

“I’m making a mental note not to get on your bad side, Vivian.”

“Why?”

“Because you can really put the scare into a person. I don’t understand why you’re afraid to be out in public by yourself. You can take care of yourself whether you think you can or not.”

“Thank you, Isadore. I take that as a high compliment.”

“You’re welcome. I promise that sometime this evening I will do my best to talk to Liliana. I would feel terrible if she would spend time thinking she’s in love with me when she could be finding a man better suited to her.”

“A very wise decision, Isadore. Thank you.”

We got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Liliana opened it at our knocking. I watched her face light up at the sight of Isadore. I hoped he really could do as he said he would and be gentle with her. I trusted he would try, but trying and accomplishing are two completely different things.

“Vivian. Isadore. Please, come in. Mama and Gianna are nearly done with dinner preparations.”

“Is Reino here or has he called?”

“No, he hasn’t, but he, Hayes and Shirley shouldn’t be too long.”

“Good. I’m going to go see if there’s anything I can do in the kitchen.”

I gave Isadore a look and he gave me a small nod of understanding.

“Isadore, could I talk to you in the sitting room before dinner, please?”

“Sure, Liliana. What shall we discuss? The weather? How unbearable the humidity is this time of year?”

I walked away before I could hear much more. I knew that I shouldn’t eavesdrop, so I didn’t. Even if I wanted to do so, the smells coming from the kitchen drew me to it. 

“What smells so wonderful?”

“Vivian, you sweet girl. Come give Mama some love.”

She was stirring something on the stove. I gave her a hug from behind.

“Hi Gianna.”

“Did you bring Isadore with you?”

“I did. Liliana asked if he would be willing to talk to her in the sitting room. I left them alone. I had to. Everything in here smells so good.” I took in a deep breath. 

“Although there’s something that’s making my stomach spin.”

“What? What’s making your stomach feel woozy?”

I leaned in and smelled the different pots before pointing to one. 

“I don’t know what it is, but that one smells strange.”

“It’s just green beans with bacon grease.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No worry, dear. No one will force you to eat them. You’ve eaten them before.”

“I know. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“There are my two favorite girls.”

Mama and I turned from the stove to see Reino walking towards us with open arms. I stepped to the side so he could greet Mama first. Instead he pulled us both into his arms for a hug. 

“You should be hugging the woman in your life first, my Reino.”

“I’m hugging both the women in my life first.”

She stepped back and pinched him on the cheek. 

“Get washed up. Dinner is nearly ready.”

“Yes, Mama.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him and to what was still considered his room. He felt like he had a good day, I could tell.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a bonus chapter today because I am feeling the love!! :-)

“Mama, Gianna, as always, that was a wonderful dinner.”

“Thank you, Reino. Gianna is turning out to be quite the cook.”

“Yes, ma’am. She really is.”

I looked at Isadore. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Gianna since he returned from talking to Liliana. Liliana hadn’t put in an appearance at dinner. When Reino finally escorted me downstairs to dinner, we heard loud, heart wrenching sobs coming from her room. He set the record straight and there hadn’t been bloodcurdling screams of hate. I took that as a good sign whether it was or not. 

“We should help clean up before we head home, Reino.”

“Now, Vivian, you sit right back down. We will clean this up. I need to get out plates for Ferdi, Antonio and Marco. I don’t know where they went, but Ferdi said he didn’t know when he’d be back.”

“Where’s Liliana?”

I elbowed Reino in the stomach. He had heard as well as I had where she was. Mama looked at Isadore. 

“I suspect that she’s around and will be fine. I should probably put together a plate for her too. She might eat when everyone leaves.”

Gianna got up to help Mama gather up the dishes. Isadore stood up to help as well.

“I think this might be a good time to make our escape.”

“What about my car?”

“Hayes can drive us and Shirley and Isadore can drive your car back whenever he’s done making eyes at my little sister.”

“Okay. You tell Mama we’re leaving then.”

“Mama, we’re going to go home now, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is.” The four of us got up from the table. Reino kissed Mama’s cheek. “Thank you, Mama. We’ll see you this weekend.”

“Drive safe.”

Reino tossed my car keys to Isadore.

“Try not to do more damage to it than she’s already done. We have an early day tomorrow. Not too late.”

“Yes, Father,” Isadore replied with a mock salute. If Reino hadn’t laughed, I would have been worried. 

The four of us went to leave. Reino was helping me on with my coat when a voice called my name from the shadows under the stairs.

“Vivian.”

“Liliana? Why are you hiding?”

“Isadore is in love with Gianna.”

“Yes, he told me on the drive over here.”

“Why didn’t you tell him how I felt about him?”

“I did, Liliana. He said he never has thought of you like that.”

“I want to leave to come live with you and Reino right now, tonight.”

“I don’t know if we could clear that with Mama. Why don’t you get a good night’s sleep and we’ll talk about this tomorrow?”

“No. I can’t stay in this house knowing that all the time I talked to her about how much I liked him she was hiding the truth from me. Either I come with you or I’ll run away.”

“To where?”

“Chicago, New York City, I know I could find somewhere to go.”

I heard footsteps walk back into the kitchen.

“Do we need to get you packed?”

“Already done.”

She held up a suitcase.

“Is that enough to live with?”

“Until I can get a trunk and get everything else. I’ll be fine.”

The footsteps came back from the kitchen.

“Mama said you can come stay with us for a few days. We’ll talk more permanent then. Come on.”

Liliana came with us. Thankfully we were back to the chauffeur car, so there was plenty of room even with Liliana’s suitcase. I got in first followed by Reino, Liliana’s suitcase and then Liliana. Hayes and Shirley settled themselves into the front seat. I didn’t know how long they had been married, but I found it lovely that they still behaved like teenagers sometimes as she snuggled up to him.

The drive back to our place was silent. Reino was deep in thought and Liliana was obviously still upset about Isadore and Gianna. I knew that if she would give herself time she’d be fine. Broken hearts heal fast when you’re that age. Mine did, at least. 

We were very nearly home when I heard the strangest noise followed by a scream. After that everything happened in slow motion. I heard repetitive popping sounds that I realized was the sound of at least one gun firing when I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder just before Reino shoved me into the floorboards and covered me with his body. I felt the material of the dress I was wearing sticking to me like I was sweating at the Bordeaux. 

Three more heartbeats and the popping sounds stopped. Then there were tires squealing as someone was escaping the scene of a crime.

“Reino?”

“I’m fine, Hayes. How’s Shirley?”

“I’m fine. What about Vivian and Liliana?”

“Vivian?” 

I could see the outline of his head above mine. I could have seen it better if my eyes would focus and I wasn’t getting so lightheaded.

“I’m awake, but my shoulder hurts. Where’s Liliana?”

“She’s here bes- Liliana? Liliana!”

Reino started screaming and crying. I was glad my eyes wouldn’t focus. I hadn’t heard her voice since the stairs. I knew that wasn’t good.

“I’ll find a telephone.”

“No, Hayes. As long as I’m in the car Shirley and Vivian are in danger. I’ll go. Someone needs to come back here and see if they can get the blood from Vivian’s wound to stop.”

“I’ll do it.”

Reino got out of the backseat and Shirley crawled over the front seat to get into it. She had a handkerchief or rag of some sort that she used to try to get my shoulder to stop bleeding.

“I hope there’s one nearby. I’m not sure this is going to be enough. Vivian? Vivian, keep your eyes open, please.”

I couldn’t comply. My eyes went completely out of focus and I fell into a painless black void.

 

When I came to, there were bright lights in my room. It was shining in my eyes. It was blinding. I didn’t know where I was. I tried talking but there was something in my mouth.

“More sedation. I can’t remove these bullet fragments and repair her shoulder while she’s still moving around.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

I felt the sharp prick of the needle as they gave me a shot of something. It wasn’t much longer before I was out again.

 

I had moments of awake. I’d wake up look around and ask for Reino. As soon as I mentioned his name, someone came in and put something into the line going into my arm. Before I could get too agitated, it hit me and I was out again. I didn’t know how long this went on, but one day I woke up and Shirley was sitting in the room. She had a bandage on her arm and looked like she hadn’t seen the sun in a while.

“Good morning.”

“Is it? Is it morning?”

A nurse walked into the room.

“Oh good. We’re awake. I have some questions for you to answer.”

“Fine.”

“Do you know what day it is?”

“A day that ends in Y?”

The nurse pursed her lips at me.

“I suppose that isn’t an incorrect answer. The doctor will be in to speak with you in a little while.”

“Great.”

She left and I turned my attention back to Shirley.

“Have you been in here this whole time? However long this whole time has been?”

“It’s been nearly two weeks since the incident. Yes, I’ve been here this whole time too.”

“Hayes okay?”

“Yes. He and Reino both live a charmed life. No matter how many times something like this happens, neither of them get hurt.”

“How is Liliana?”

She paused and confirmed my worst fears. Poor Reino. Poor Mama.

“They buried her ten days ago. I was allowed out to go, but they were afraid that you’d re-injure your shoulder since you’ve been fighting the sedation.”  
I lost control and the tears started falling. Shirley jumped out of her chair to comfort me. I would have preferred Reino, but I didn’t have a choice right then.

“Poor, poor Liliana. She discovered the man she loved didn’t love her and then she died because she insisted she had to come with us. I feel so bad and then I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her.”

“Hayes will take you to her grave when he takes you home.”

“Do you know when I’ll be able to go home?”

“I only know that the doctor denied us permission to allow you to go to her funeral. Hopefully when the doctor comes in, he can give you a better idea of when you’ll be out of here.”

With my tears under control, she sat back down. If her arm felt like my shoulder, sitting was preferable.

“Where’s Reino?” Shirley wouldn’t look at me. Her focus was anywhere but on me. “Shirley, what’s wrong? Why won’t you look at me? Where is Reino? Why hasn’t he come to visit me?”

“Vivian, please don’t hate the messenger.”

“Messenger? What?”

“After what happened in the car, he thinks you’ll be better off without him in your life.”

“What happened to him not being able to live without me?”

“He won’t be able to live with himself if what happened to Liliana would happen to you. Liliana knew that she was taking her life in her own hands by not moving out of the family home or trying to find a nice man who wasn’t involved in the family business. You have only been around this for a little while and the choice has been made to take you out of it.”

“Why did he send a messenger? Why couldn’t he come tell me this himself?”

“He was afraid that his resolve would fail and he wouldn’t go through with it. He still cares for you, Vivian. He just can’t take the risk anymore that something horrible could happen to you.”

“He’s a coward. And you can tell him I said that.”

“He’s got your new apartment all set up still.”

“I’m not going to return to that place. I want my old apartment. I don’t need pity from him. I can and will take care of myself.”

She stood up.

“I should probably go. Have one of the nurses call Hayes when you’re being released. He’ll come get you and take you home.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’d hate to take him away from Reino when he needs him.”

“Any message you want me to give to Reino?”

“Yes, tell him to please rot in hell. Get out.”

She left the room just before the doctor walked in. The tears had started again. I could have handled him breaking things off with me if he had done it himself. If he had looked me in the eye and expressed his concerns for my safety, it might have been an easier to take. Sending a messenger to do his dirty work was lower than low. All the love I thought I had for him was just wasted time. I couldn’t stand myself right then for believing everything he had said to me over the course of the previous months.

“How are we today?”

“Well, doctor, the tears have started and I can’t seem to stop them and I hate my now ex-boyfriend for being a coward. How’s your day going?”

“Tears are normal, Vivian. You should have seen the things my wife cried over when she was pregnant with our first child. The cake sunk down in the middle and she was inconsolable.”

I stared at him, open mouthed.

“Pregnant? What are you talking about?”

“During your initial exam it was thought that your uterus felt full. There is a novel way to confirm pregnancy that comes from us from Europe, so we tried it and it said you were. The nurses were complaining that your sedation wasn’t lasting long since we cut your dose back, but we wanted to let you heal and protect the baby.”

I heard the last few things he said, but all I could register and focus on was pregnant. I was pregnant and it was confirmed. My hands went to my stomach. Reino’s child was growing in my womb and he had broken up with me to protect me. 

“And you’re absolutely certain I’m pregnant?”

“You sound surprised.”

“I was told that I’d never get pregnant. For nine years I didn’t. How could all those doctors I saw be wrong?”

“The human body can do amazing things when it has to do so. Perhaps yours has joined that crowd.”

“Oh my.”

I couldn’t get my thoughts to focus on anything. The new apartment would be better for a baby with it being a two bedroom, but I wasn’t going to go live someplace so full of memories of my time with Reino. For a while the one bedroom would be fine. I could find another place when I had the need to go looking.

“I want to keep you here for at least another week. We’ll need to make sure your shoulder is healing correctly. After that you’ll be free to go, but you’ll need to follow up to get the stitches removed. Any questions for me today?”

“Anything special I need to be doing to keep my baby?”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll need to follow up with your physician on that.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you going to inform the father?”

“Considering that he just sent a messenger to break up with me? No. He doesn’t need to know. He certainly doesn’t deserve to know.”

“We can supply some security if you feel you need it to protect yourself.”

“I don’t think I’ll need protection from him. He shows his face here, he might need some protection from me though.”

He chuckled.

“And that spirit is why you were still alive when you were brought to us. How is your pain?”

“I just found out I’m pregnant when I’ve spent that last nine years thinking I couldn’t get pregnant. I’m flying high and feeling no pain right now.”

“Let one of the nurses know if that changes at all. I have revised doses of pain meds in your chart.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

He left the room. Despite the down just prior to his visit, I felt the day was going to end on a positive note. At the end of the day, I wasn’t alone anymore. I had a brand new life growing inside me. From then on I was going to live for her or him alone. I had no one else. I decided I needed no one else.


	19. Chapter 19

A week later I was finally being released from the hospital. Everyone had been very nice. Even the nurses had softened a little towards me. I guess being a divorced, unmarried pregnant woman earned me a little pity. I was dressed and for the first time noticed that my usually very loose clothes weren’t quite so loose around the middle. I did enjoy shopping. I definitely had an excuse to go buy new clothes. I was shrugging my coat on my one usable arm when a nurse came into the room.

“There’s someone here to see you.”

“On the day I’m going home? Send them in, I guess.”

She rushed out and Hayes entered looking like a hired chauffeur. My smile disappeared.

“What do you want?”

“Reino sent me to make sure you got home.”

“Tell Reino that if he doesn’t want to be with me, he needs to not concern himself with me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself just fine, thank you.”

I turned my back on him, expecting him to take that to mean that he should go. I felt his hand on my arm.

“He did this for your safety, you know.”

“Yeah, that’s what your wife said. I have no intention of getting into that car or any other car that belongs to him ever again. Please go, Hayes. Do please pass on the message that he no longer has the right to be concerned about me. I’ll take a taxi home. I’ll be fine. Although, I should probably figure out where my car has ended up parked.”

“It’s right outside your apartment building. You know he won’t accept that for an answer from you.”

I turned to him, all the rage I felt for Reino right then came pouring out of me. I pushed him away from me hard.

“I don’t care what he’ll accept or not accept. When he sent your wife in here to tell me it was over between us because he’s worried about my safety, he became no more than a man in my past who needs to stay in my past. Now, please leave, Hayes. I don’t want to see anyone from Reino’s world to darken my door again. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Miss Vivian.”

He tipped his hat and left. I barely made it a chair before I collapsed. My hand went to my lower belly. I hated refusing a kind gesture from Hayes, but I had no problem refusing one from Reino. He needed to understand I didn’t want anything to do with him. I hoped Hayes could convey the message properly.

The taxi ride home was quiet and lonely. I knew I needed to go shopping, but I wasn’t sure it was a good day to do it. Better to go ahead and find some clothes that wouldn’t completely show my impending arrival. The driver stopped in front of my building and got my bags out of the trunk. As Hayes said it was, my car was sitting there waiting for me. However, I felt no desire to drive myself to do anything. 

“If I would take these upstairs, would you wait so I could go downtown?”

“Yes, miss. I’d be happy to do that.”

I pulled a bill out of my wallet. I had no idea what size it was, but I handed it to him anyway.

“For your troubles.”

He tipped his hat and got back into the car to wait.

I got up the stairs and into my apartment. It was just as I remembered it. It had been cleaned since I had been there months before. I suspected Reino had something to do with it, but I didn’t let myself think about that. I set my bags down, made sure I had plenty of cash and returned to my taxi. 

Later that evening I was trying on some of my new clothes. The saleslady had assured me that it all was the latest in fashion for expectant mothers. Some of the items were cute while others were only functional. Not my normal closet stock, but I had no choice. Since I wasn’t showing that much yet and I was okay being slightly uncomfortable, I put on my regular dress back on, for now. 

Even though I was able to wear my old clothes for now, I decided that putting on the make up of a flapper was no longer going to be appropriate for me. I didn’t have a man and I didn’t need one. No need to paint my face up anymore. I looked at the collection I had amassed in the previous months. I couldn’t believe that I had wasted so much money buying it all and wasted time learning how to properly apply it all. Well, that was a brief moment of my former life only. From here on out it was going to be me and baby, a new chapter of my life.

 

Time seemed to pass slowly without the excitement Reino brought. Soon my life fell into a routine. It was nice to regain the use of my left arm when the stitches came out. I had to start wearing some of the new dresses I bought. Without the makeup I looked dowdy, but honestly, I didn’t care. I was blissfully happy with my life.  


There were times I wished I could have had more cooking lessons with Mama. One night I wanted lasagna. We had only worked on how to make lasagna twice. The noodles came out lumpy and soggy. The sauce was tasteless. It wasn’t what I wanted and it actually made me nauseated. I did that enough as it was.

It was Thursday in late September when I hadn’t even gotten dressed by noon that my now orderly life changed, again. As I ate the only thing that sounded good for lunch while lounging in my so loose and comfortable nightgown, my buzzer sounded. I jumped at the sound since it hadn’t happened in so long. I opened my door to see Shirley standing outside the door of my building. My first instinct was to return to my apartment and ignore her, but something told me that she would continue to press that buzzer until I opened the door and let her inside the building. I had no choice. I let her in and led her to my apartment. I sat down on my sofa while she made herself comfortable on the chair. She just stared at me for a few moments.

“There’s something different about you, Vivian. You look different. New makeup?”

“No makeup. I haven’t worn it since I left the hospital. Why are you here?”

“I’m worried about Reino.”

“Oh.”

“You aren’t going to ask why?”

“I don’t really care why, but I’ll indulge you. Why are you worried about Reino?”

“He misses you, Vivian. He’s gone back to that dark place. Nothing anyone does helps. I think he needs to see you and know that you’re okay.”

“If that’s all he needs, he knows where I live.”

“He’s proud, probably too proud. He won’t admit that he still thinks about you every waking moment and probably a lot of his sleeping ones too. He needs you whether he’ll admit it out loud or not.”

“No. I’m not going back to him. I don’t even want to see him. He’s done enough to my life.”

Without thinking about it, my hand went to my belly. Yes, he had done quite enough. Shirley narrowed her eyes at me. I moved my hand away but it found its way right back. Her eyes grew wide.

“You’re pregnant.”

“No. I can’t have children. I’ve been told that for a while now.”

“Liar. The only women who spend that much time with their hands protecting their bellies are pregnant ones. Fess up, Vivian. You’re pregnant and it’s Reino’s child, isn’t it?”

I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to admit anything. I had no choice. It was going to be the only way to get her to leave. 

“Yes, I am. They informed me the day that you came to see me to do Reino’s dirty work. The baby is fine and I am fine without Reino in our lives. I would really prefer he not find out, ever.”

“He has a right to know if there is going to be a baby born with his eyes or his nose, Vivian. You can’t do that to him. It will completely destroy him to know that his child is out there somewhere and he can’t be a part of his or her life.”

“Then don’t tell him. It won’t hurt him if he doesn’t know about it.”

“I have to tell him. I can’t not tell him.”

“Fine, but also tell him that it doesn’t change how much I hate him. Now, I think it’s time for you to go.”

“Please, reconsider telling him. Knowing about the baby will change his push you away to protect you idea that he latched onto.”

“He did this out of some strange thinking that not having me in his life would make things easier. Who am I to argue with the great Reinaldo Bianchi’s logic?”

I got up, letting her know the conversation was over. She got up and followed me to the door. Before I could open the door, she threw her arms around my neck to give me a hug.

“I do wish you would reconsider, but I do understand why you’re doing what you’re doing.”

I put my arms around her to return the hug. It felt good to have someone care about me again. If I’d let up and let Reino back into my life for the baby’s sake, I could have someone care about me some at least again. It would be nice, but I couldn’t forgive him. 

“I won’t reconsider. He left me in the lurch when I needed him most, Shirley. Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to even get ready for the day with the use of only one arm? I seem to be healing well and can use it now, but when they let me leave the hospital I couldn’t do basic things. If I hadn’t been with him, I wouldn’t have been injured and then he decides to let me go like he’s some noble knight. You know what, tell him about this baby. Nothing else will hurt him as much as he’s hurt me.”

“I think you’re going to regret that.” She stopped and listened. “What’s that noise? Are the train tracks close to your apartment?”

“No, they aren-“

Before I could finish my thought, I felt a wave of air pushing me backwards as glass rained down on the room. It was so loud in my apartment. I thought a train was trying to drive through my living room. I tried to curl into a fetal position to lessen the impact on the baby. I didn’t know if it did any good, but I had to try. 

I tried reaching for Shirley. She should have been right there with me. I couldn’t imagine where she had gone. It felt like forever that I was held in that one spot on the floor, but it finally let up. As soon as it didn’t sound like a freight train traveling over my head, I started screaming.

“Shirley! Shirley!” 

I heard moaning. It was faint and far away sounding. I knew other people lived in my building, but I thought most of them worked during the day. I got up and started crawling towards where I thought the sound was coming from. 

Avoiding glass was the biggest obstacle. It wasn’t easy and it was actually quite difficult. No matter how hard I tried, I hit some pretty sharp pieces as my hands and knees started bleeding. I tried getting to my feet, but it wouldn’t work. My body was off balance. I had to do what I had to do as I was doing it.  


I made it to where my door had once been. It was gone. I couldn’t even see pieces of it. I wondered if they were wherever Shirley ended up.

“Shirley?”

“Down here.”

I looked through the railing of the stairs and saw her laying two stories down in the basement. She wasn’t moving much.

“I’m going to go find help. Stay right there.”

“Trust me. I couldn’t move even if I really wanted to.”

“Keep that sense of humor. You’re probably going to need it.”

I crawled down the flight of stairs to the door outside. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The door flopped in the wind letting the rain in. I pushed the door open and the sight outside made my heart stop. There was rubble and mass chaos everywhere. Others were leaving their buildings and looking around in amazement. I tried to focus on someone who looked reasonably unhurt to help. I needed to get Shirley out of the basement, but I needed help. My crawling out of my building drew attention.

“Ma’am, let me help you.” A man rushed to me and helped me up. He looked at my blood stained nightgown, hands and knees. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

“Yes, but my friend Shirley needs help. She was blown out the door of my apartment down to the basement. She needs help more than I do.”

He nodded and helped me get into the building to Shirley. He looked around. I didn’t know what he was doing, but he was looking for something particular.

“This floor is carpeted, so that might have help soften the blow. We need to get her onto a door or something else that they can get her out of here on. Picking her up and carrying her can’t be done.”

“Good, because I couldn’t pick her up anyway.”

“Why not?”

“I’m pregnant and with the force I just sustained as well, I probably shouldn’t be doing any heavy lifting.”

“What are you doing walking around?”

“Making sure she’s taken care of.”

“Shirley, we are going to get you out of here and to a doctor. Just relax and let us work.”

“You worry about you. If it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go.”

The gentleman who came to help looked between us.

“You,” he pointed to me, “sit down, now. You need to not be on your feet. You,” he pointed to Shirley, “hold on until I can get back down here with help. We will get you out of here.”

He left us to find help. I scooted over to Shirley and took her hand.

“If they can’t get me out of here alive, tell Hayes that I love him with all my heart and that I am very sorry that I never could give him a child.”

“You’re going to make it out of here. Anything else is unthinkable.”

“Just promise me that even if you hate Reino, you’ll deliver that message to Hayes.”

“Of course I will. I will tell him, but you’re going to be fine.” She didn’t answer me. “Shirley?”

“I’m fine. Just resting. Please be willing to give Reino another chance. He does love you.”

“That I won’t promise. Just rest, Shirley. Help will be here soon.”

We sat in silence for a while. I didn’t keep track of how long we sat there. Every once and a while I felt Shirley. She responded in some way every time. I thought she’d be fine, if she didn’t have to lay there without medical attention for much longer.

“Hello? Anyone in here?”

“Down here. We’re down here.”

“Injuries?”

“One serious from falling down two stories and one not so serious. I just have cuts in my hands and knees from the glass.”

“Someone will be down in a moment.”

Two heartbeats later the sounds of several pairs of feet on the stairs echoed through the building. They had what looked like used to be a door. They set it down next to Shirley. Four pairs of hands gingerly picked her up and moved her. A fifth man picked me up and carried me up the stairs.

“I can walk.”

“If you are pregnant, it’s not a good idea until a doctor has examined you.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know. We’ll see what the doctor says.”

They carried us across several blocks of rubble until we came upon a waiting ambulance. They put Shirley in the back and started a line running into her arm. I was set in the front seat and then we were off towards someone I hoped could help Shirley.


	20. Chapter 20

I sat on a gurney waiting for someone to let me know that I was okay and could go check on Shirley. They dumped me on the gurney and wheeled her away. She was pale by the time we actually reached the hospital. I was more worried for her than I was for me and the baby. While I was curled up waiting to hear whether they thought we were both okay, I heard a familiar voice.

“I want to see my wife. I was contacted that she is here and I’m not going to just sit down here and wait. I want to see her, now.”

I looked up to see Hayes looking more threatening than I had ever seen him look, making demands on the nurses. I made the mistake of looking beyond him and making eye contact with Reino. I quickly looked away and tried to curl into a ball. He walked over to me about the same time the doctor came to see me.

“Miss Shaw, all your tests are in order and the baby seems fine. If you begin to experience any bleeding or cramping, get back here immediately.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you. Am I free to go?”

“The nurse will be by with some discharge orders for you as soon as she can. Until then, sit back, relax and rest.”

“What about the woman I was brought in here with?”

“We’re working as hard as we can on her.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

He left and Reino quickly took his place at my side.

“Baby?”

I rolled my eyes. So much for not letting him know.

“No, I think you misheard the doctor.”

“No, I distinctly heard him say baby. Are you pregnant?”

“It doesn’t matter, Reino. You don’t want me in your life. A baby shouldn’t change that.”

“But, if you are, it changes everything.”

“It changes nothing. I still hate you for sending Shirley in to tell me our relationship was over.”

He tried to take my hand, but I pulled it away from him.

“Vivian, please look at me.”

“I don’t even want to acknowledge your existence right now. Go to Hayes. He needs you right now. I don’t.”

“I made a mistake, Vivian. I shouldn’t have broken things off with you. I’ve been miserable since, since that night. It was an extreme reaction and I have regretted it every second of every day. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I would work every day of my life to make it up to you if you’d see fit to do so.”

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He really did look as bad off as Shirley said he was. He was still as amazingly handsome as he was the first time I was ever introduced to him, but he had a haunted look in eyes that was a little frightening. I looked away from him.

“I have no desire to have my heart stomped on again just when it’s finally beginning heal. You have no reason to worry about us. We’ll be just fine.”

“You are pregnant? And it’s mine?”

I blamed the extreme emotional swings, but I balled up my hand and punched him. Even though I knew the baby was okay, I didn’t want to risk harm to him or her by following the punch with kicking until someone physically restrained me.

“Of course it’s yours, you ass. I can’t believe you would actually ask me that. Go back to Hayes. If I see your face again, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

The nurse appeared with my discharge instructions just as I punched Reino. She stared at him wide eyed as he took it before nodding and returning to where Hayes was trying to get information on Shirley.

“Here are your instructions. Is your apartment suitable to return to?”

“I doubt it. There’s glass everywhere and I’m missing a front door. I didn’t see much beyond those two things.”

“We have some information on places to stay until more permanent accommodations can be found for you.”

“And real clothes?”

“They’ll have that information for you as well.”

“Thank you.”

She helped me down off the gurney. I kept expecting something horrible to happen since being told what signs to look for if there’s something wrong with the baby. By the time I had reached the front doors of the hospital, I was feeling fine. Waiting right where I was told they’d be were a group of nuns handing out information about places to stay and some clean clothes.

I sat down to read through the information and decide where looked to be the best place to go. I had finally decided on where to go and got up to change into clothes not covered in blood and grime when I heard my name being called.

“Vivian.”

I turned around to see Bernard’s parents coming into the hospital

“Rex. Rosetta. What are you doing here?”

“We received a call that Bernard was brought in after being rescued from his home. We aren’t even sure he’s still alive or not. How are you, dear?”

“I’m fine. I just got some glass in my hands and knees that needed to be removed. Other than that, I’m okay. How are you enjoying that new grandchild?”

They exchanged a look. It wasn’t a good look.

“Hopefully its grandparents are doting on it because Rex and I just couldn’t.”

“What do you mean its grandparents? Aren’t you the baby’s grandparents?”

“Not when two lily white people produce a chocolate complexion baby.”

I couldn’t control the laughter that bubbled out. All the trouble Mabel caused for us and it wasn’t even his child. Sometimes people really do get what they deserve. I managed to get the laughter under control.

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

They nodded and quietly slipped away. I found the nearest bathroom and got changed into clean clothes. After that I went on the hunt for a shelter so I had someplace to sleep that night. My first choice was the Sacred Heart Family Shelter because Mother and Father were patrons of the shelter. I hoped that my name would be enough to make them keep me. I was greeted by a very pleasant young woman named Hannah.

“There are so many without shelter right now. I’m glad we were unscathed and able to help house people until they can find homes again.”

“I am glad that it looks like a majority of the shelters in the city were out of the path of that monster. Hopefully it will make it easier for all of us to get back on our feet.” 

“How long do you think you’ll be with us, Miss Shaw?”

“Until I can find an apartment somewhere not affected by that thing. I’ll start looking tomorrow.”

“Of course you are welcome here for as long as you need us, but they are asking us to encourage people to find friends and family to stay with, if they can. Do you have anyone like that you could stay with?”

“I have no family and the only friend I might be able to stay with is currently in the same hospital I just left, fighting for her life, if she’s still alive. I’ll be out of here just as soon as I can, Hannah.”

“Yes, Miss Shaw. I see. Do you have an special requirements?”

“Other than a fairly straight shot to a bathroom? No.”

She set her pencil down and looked at me over her glasses.

“Are you pregnant, Miss Shaw.”

“Yes. Is that an issue?”

“This is a family place. Pregnant women who aren’t married detract from that.”

“So, my place to live was destroyed, I might lose the only friend I have left and you’re telling me that I can’t stay in this shelter because I’m pregnant. Did I miss anything?”

“It’s just the rules, Miss Shaw. You understand that we can’t become the place where unwed mothers come to stay.”

“I see. Tell me something, Hannah.”

“Miss Smith.”

“Hannah. Do you know the names Rufus and Goldie Shaw?”

“Everyone here knows those names. Their estate is our biggest benefactor. Without them we’d close up within a month.” I grinned at her as the blood drained from her face. “Oh, God.”

“Yes, you’d better hope you get some divine money, but as soon as I leave here, that benefactor money will no longer be coming to this shelter.”

“Where will it go?”

“To whichever shelter will take me without question. Obviously this one isn’t really up to the standards my parents thought it was upholding. Good day.”

I got up and was nearly out the doors of the building when I heard a male voice calling after me.

“Miss Shaw! Vivian Shaw! May I have a moment of your time?”

I turned to see someone who must have been the priest in charge of the place. I wasn’t in the mood for someone to try to convince me to not take my parents’ money elsewhere. Plus, I hadn’t had much to eat that day and I was getting hungry.

“I’m in a bit of a hurry, Father. I have things I have to do before it gets too dark to do them.”

“I want to apologize for Hannah’s hastiness. Sometimes she does things without checking policy. It is not in our policy to turn anyone away for any reason.”

“Really? You’re okay having an unmarried pregnant woman staying here?” The look of disdain on his face said it all. “That’s quite enough information for me. Good day, Father. Good luck running this place without my parents’ money.”

“You’re going to put a lot of people out on the street.”

“No, you are. If had more donors than just my parents’ estate, you wouldn’t be in danger of closing, would you? I’d be petitioning for donations rather than keeping me from finding some place to stay. Good day.”

I turned on my heal and left the building. Once outside, I collapsed against a wall. I hated knowing that I might be the cause of people suddenly not having a place to sleep, but I recalled something about not putting all your eggs in one basket and that is exactly what that shelter did. 

Speaking of shelters, I needed to find one. I pulled the paper out the nuns at the hospital gave to me. Sisters of Perpetual Sorrow had a convent that accepting people to shelter until they found somewhere else to stay. At least it would be a roof over my head. Besides, I seemed to recall that nuns were more likely to be willing to take in a pregnant, single mother than most other people. That was my best hope. I had one other option in mind, but I wasn’t going to use it unless I absolutely had to use it. I would sleep on a bench in the park first. I started walking. I didn’t have much time to waste.


	21. Chapter 21

On my second full day at the only shelter that would accept me without question, I was washing dishes after breakfast when one of the novices came to me with a message.

“You have a visitor, Vivian.”

“You must be mistaken. They are asking for another Vivian, I assure you.”

“Mother Superior knows this person and she says if I don’t return with you as fast as my feet can carry me, I’ll be saying Hail Marys until breakfast.”

“We just ate breakfast.”

“Tomorrow at breakfast.”

I started untying the apron I was wearing to protect the only dress I owned. I dried my hands on it before throwing it down on the counter.

“I don’t know who has found me, but this can’t be good. Especially if Mother Superior is threatening you with saying a prayer for twenty-four hours straight. This person must be- oh no. I can’t go. It’s Reino. I know it’s him. I don’t know how he found me, but I can’t see him.”

“It’s not a man. At least, it wasn’t a man’s voice talking to Mother Superior. Please come with me, Vivian.”

“Lead on.”

The building was a maze. I was fairly certain the building was older than anything else in St. Louis. It looked to me like it had been hauled over from Europe, but that was probably the hormones talking. She stopped outside an official looking door, curtsied and ran like the devil was after her. I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t know what was on the other side of that door, but I figured it couldn’t be good. I opened the door without knocking.

“You wanted to see me, Mother Superior?”

“Not me, Vivian.”

She smiled at the person sitting across from her. Before I could register who was sitting there, Mama was out of the chair and had me in a bear hug.

“Oh, you sweet girl. We’ve been worried sick about you since Reino said he let you just walk out of that hospital without anywhere to go.”

“Did he tell you about the baby?”

“Baby? Are you?” She squealed and placed her hands on my belly. “My grandchild growing strong in his strong mama.”

“I take it that he didn’t mention the baby.”

“Of course he didn’t mention the baby. I threatened to string him up by his toes when he informed us after Liliana’s funeral that he was going to set you free to keep you safe. He is a smart boy when it comes to his father’s business, but he is a stupid boy when it comes to matters of the heart. I was so angry with him that I have refused to feed him since then. He is at the house plenty, but I don’t feed him. Now, I may never forgive him.”

“Renata, you know that isn’t what you really want to do.”

“Agnes, just because you’ve known me since I was born does not give you an excuse to lecture me.”

I looked back and forth between them before it dawned on me.

“You’re sisters.”

“How do you think I found out you were here, Vivian? Agnes, formerly my big sister Rosa, called me once she realized that you were the one I had spent so much time talking about with my Reino.”

“You don’t want me here anymore, Mother Superior?”

“I would keep you until you are tired of being here, Vivian. You want to work and help out. Most of these people just want a place to sleep and free food. You want to earn your keep. I appreciate that. However, I think you’ll be happier around people who will love and care for you as you need during this delicate time in your life.”

“Delicate time in my life. When I’m not threatening to empty my stomach, I’m busy stuffing it. There is nothing delicate about that. But, thank you, Mother Agnes, if I may call you that, for everything. Especially for not turning me away when I came to you in need.”

“My dear, that is exactly what we are here for. Go with Renata. I do believe it is truly what’s best for you.”

“You know, I think you are right about that.”

Mother Superior got up and gave Mama a hug. She then turned to me and gave me one as well. Again I was struck by how I was family by proxy and treated as such. It was nice and I didn’t object to it one bit.

“You bring that grandchild by sometime for a visit once he or she is born. Knowing its father and having seen its mother, it is going to a beautiful child.”

“You’ll be sick of it, I promise, Agnes.”

Agnes waved as we left her office. I let Mama lead me out of the convent and to the street where the car sat. I fully expected to see Hayes waiting for us, so I was shocked to see Isadore standing by the door. 

“Where’s Hayes?”

“He spends all of his time at the hospital with Shirley.”

“Shirley. How is she? If she’s there, she survived her injuries.”

“So far she has. Get into the car. We can go see her, if you’d like.”

“Actually, that would be wonderful.”

I crawled into the car first and Mama followed me. We rode in silence for a while.

“How long have you known about the baby?”

“Since the day Reino sent Shirley to break up with me for him.”

“What? He didn’t even talk to you himself? I may never feed that boy again. When did he find out about the baby?”

“The day of the tornado. I was on a gurney in the hallway since all their rooms were occupied by more pressing injuries when he came in with Hayes looking for Shirley. When the doctor came over to tell me that my exam was normal and what to watch for for signs of problems, he was standing right there and heard every word.”

“What did you do?”

“Isadore,” Mama warned.

“Sorry, Mama. I’ll just drive.”

“Thank you. Go on.”

“I denied that he heard what he heard and then he asked me if it was his.”

“As I said, stupid boy. What did you do about that?”

“I punched him.” 

She threw her head back and laughed. It was one of those hearty belly laughs that are hard to catch your breath afterwards. She wiped her eyes.

“And that is why you are perfect for my Reino. You loved him completely and you didn’t put up with his nonsense. I hope he will come to his senses and apologize.”

“He asked for a second chance, but he never once said he was sorry. I have no intention of welcoming him back so easily. He really hurt me and that’s not something to be forgiven lightly. How do I know he won’t panic and leave again? I can’t take that chance.”

“Liliana’s death affected us all, but Reino feels responsible.”

“I know he does and I am so sorry for what happened that night, Mama. If he knows what’s involved in this line of work and it inhibits his personal life, why doesn’t he find something else to do?”

“This is all he knows. He has a head for business though. He could probably take a struggling company and turn it into something, but no one will hire him without the right college on his resume. This he knows and it doesn’t require something he doesn’t have.”

“That makes sense, but he has to know that love has risks. I’m not naive. I know that every time I leave with him, there’s a chance I might not come back. I wish he understood that.”

“He might start to see that now.”

“Don’t let me forget that at some point in time I need to see my family lawyer.”

“What for, dear?”

“I need to make sure the first shelter I went to for help gets their funding from my parents’ estate cut off as soon as humanly possible. I made the threat. I will follow through.”

“As I told you the last time I saw you, Vivian, you can take care of yourself no matter what anyone else thinks.”

“Thank you, Isadore. I’m beginning to feel that way myself.”

When we arrived at the hospital, Hayes was the only one in Shirley’s room. He sat at her bedside and stared at her face. I knew that look. It was the look of someone trying to will someone else to do something. He wanted Shirley to open her eyes. I didn’t blame him. I wanted her to open her eyes too. Hopefully her closed eyes meant she was getting healing rest.

“How is she doing today, Hayes?”

He looked at us and blinked a few times.

“She’s the same as she’s been. At least she’s stable. Vivian.” He got up and crossed the room in four large steps to give me hug. “Thank you for doing everything you did to help her. I couldn’t figure out why she had been in the area of town they said she came to them from until they gave me the address of the building. I knew she had gone to see you then and you were the one who must have crawled through broken glass to flag someone down in the street to get her help. Thank you for saving her life.”

“If she hadn’t been worried about Reino, she wouldn’t have been at my apartment and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. When you think about it, this is still more more of Reino’s doing.”

“If she had been at our building she’d be dead for sure. Our building is a pile of rubble. I’m glad she went to see you. At least she survived.”

With hugs, when you didn’t hug first, I was never sure how long to hold on to the other person. I finally decided that I should hold on until he let go. He needed it more than I did. 

“Her shop?”

“Less than rubble. Trust me. You saved her, Vivian, and that in turn has saved me. Now,” he finally let go of me, “come over and say hi to her. I’m sure he’d like to hear your voice again.”

He led me to her bedside. Mama pulled a chair up.

“Sit down, Vivian. You don’t need to be on your feet if you don’t need to be on them.”

I nodded and sat down. I felt silly just sitting there, so I took her hand.

“Hi Shirley. It’s Vivian. I’m glad to see you’re still with us.” She squeezed my hand. I squealed. “She squeezed my hand. Can you do it again?” She did it again. “Hayes, take her other hand. She might not have the energy to open her eyes and talk, but she’s responding to us.”

Hayes rushed to the other side of her bed and took her other hand. He leaned down and kissed her temple.

“Thank you, my love. I won’t let them give up on you.”

“We won’t let them give up on her either,” Mama added.

I got up.

“Going somewhere?”

“I ran into Bernard’s parents when I was leaving the day everything happened. I thought I’d check to see if he’s here. I hate him, but his parents are still nice people.”

“Do you want Isadore to come with you?”

I opened my mouth to say no, but changed my mind.

“Actually, that would be nice. I’m not sure I could face them alone without giving them a piece of my mind.”

“I won’t be stopping you if you’d want to give them that, Miss Vivian.”

“Go with her, Isadore and keep her and little bean safe.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As I was leaving I heard Hayes ask her about little bean. I left her to explain. I found the nurses station more calm than I expected to find it considering what had happened in the city.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, I know a Bernard Buschner was brought in the same day as Mrs. Wright and I was wondering if you could tell me what room he’s in please.”

“Your relationship to the patient?”

“He’s my ex-husband.”

She raised her eyebrows as she looked Isadore up and down hard. Deciding he wasn’t a huge threat, she checked her patient list. 

“He’s right next door to Mrs. Wright. He’s nearly in as bad a shape as she is, so please, don’t cause a disturbance.”

“I don’t plan to do so. I do want to check on him and his parents. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I walked back down the same hallway and found him right next door to Shirley. Rex and Rosetta were keeping vigil at his bedside much as Hayes was doing at Shirley’s bedside. Rosetta smiled at me. Rex continued reading his newspaper.

“Vivian, it’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you two again. How is he?”

“We don’t really know. He’s still alive and he has some broken bones, but they don’t know much beyond that. Did you come up here just to see Bernard?”

“A friend I was with when the tornado hit is next door. I’m here visiting her and thought I’d see if Bernard was here and you with him.”

Rosetta looked at Bernard in the bed. He looked less imposing than the last time I saw him. Then again, knowing you have a gangster gunning for you, discovering your mistress’s baby isn’t yours and then being seriously injured in a tornado would take it out of anyone. 

“Is there any chance you’d come back to him? I know he was horrible to you, but he’s going to need more care than we can give him when this is over.”

“And you think I have nothing better to do than to take care of him around the clock?”

“Well,” she started wringing her hands, “you do have the money to hire a professional nurse to take care of him around the clock or when you just can’t be there.”

“And what about your money? Or isn’t that good enough to spend on your son?”

“He’s going to require a lot of care. Don’t you love him anymore?”

“I can say with confidence that I do not love him anymore, if I ever truly loved him at all. I think that was over for sure when he conned someone into kidnapping me and beating me. Thankfully they didn’t get too far or I probably would have lost the baby.”

Her hands went to my belly and then to her mouth. I saw her look at Isadore standing menacingly in the doorway.

“Is it Bernard’s?”

“Absolutely not. I need to return to my friend. I do hope Bernard recovers. He still owes me money.”

I turned on my heel and left with Isadore right behind me. I was so furious that they wanted me to take him back so they wouldn’t have to shoulder the financial burden of caring for him. I needed to be away from the hospital as soon as I could. I entered Shirley’s room to see Hayes murmuring something in Shirley’s ear. I was struck by the simplicity of that scene and how much I desperately wanted that. I only hoped Reino hadn’t broken my heart into so many pieces that it couldn’t get put back together again.

“Mama, I need to go home and rest. I’m worn out.”

“It’s hard growing another person. Isadore, fetch the car, please.” He tipped his hat and went to do as directed. “Hayes, you come by the house for food at some point today. I’ll fill your belly and make you have plenty to bring here with you so you don’t starve.”

“Yes, Mrs. Bianchi.”

“Come on, sweet girl. You and little bean need a nap I believe.”

“Bye, Hayes.”

“Bye, Vivian. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Her last words were directing me to tell you how much she loves you. She’ll come back to us.”

“I know she will. Thank you.”

I nodded as he went back to his vigil. Being with Reino’s family felt right, but there was one problem with it. I was not going to be able to avoid him forever. I knew that would come back to haunt me. I just didn’t know when or how it would, but I did knew it would.


	22. Chapter 22

When we got home, my first instinct was to go to Reino’s room, but I wasn’t sure I would be entirely comfortable there. Plus, Mama hadn’t told me where he was living. For all I knew, he was staying in his room.

“Where do you want me to rest, Mama?”

“I thought Liliana or Teresa’s room would be best.”

“Reino isn’t staying here, is he?”

“No, he has his own place. As I said earlier, he’s here plenty, but I don’t feed him.”

“Someone talking about me?”

Reino walked out of the kitchen with a towel tucked into his collar to protect his pristine white shirt from whatever he pilfered from the refrigerator. I’ve never wanted to hurt someone and kiss them at the same time so much. I started shaking. Mama gave him a shove towards the kitchen.

“You know the rules of the house, Reino. No food for you. You leave Vivian alone. If you upset her and anything happens to my grandchild, I will kill you. You ask your papa if I don’t know how to do it.”

He hurried off to the kitchen but not before giving me a knowing smile. I knew that smile. It wasn’t a good smile.

“Does Liliana’s door lock?”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t. I’ll keep Reino from bothering you. I will follow through on that threat. That baby will have plenty of positive male influences in its life. Reino’s absence won’t even be missed.”

I wrapped my arms around her.

“Thank you, Mama. Don’t kill him. Make him leave and never come back, but don’t kill him.”

“I can do that. You know where Liliana’s room is. Go rest. I’ll bring you up something to eat in a bit. I won’t make you eat with the heathens today.”

I nodded and climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. Every step was a great effort on my part. I realized I had never truly known exhaustion before being pregnant. That was exhaustion on a whole new level. I’m sure I got my shoes off before I fell into bed and was asleep before my head even touched the pillow. I vaguely remembered Mama coming in with a plate of food and setting it on the bedside table for me. I remembered having a short debate with myself over whether to go back to sleep or whether to eat. Sleep won. 

The sun had changed position in the sky when I woke up with a warm body pressed against my back. Warm hands rested on my belly. I elbowed the warm body in the stomach.

“Oomph. Nice Vivian.”

I sat up and pushed him until he got out of the bed. Instead of lying back down as I wanted to do, I sat up to yell at him. 

“What makes you think you’re welcome in my bed?”

“Aren’t you at my parents’ house because you wanted to see me?”

“No, I’m here because your aunt, the Mother Superior, recognized me as the woman your mother talked about as being your girlfriend. She called her sister. Your mother showed up and now I’m here. I didn’t mind the convent. The only down side was all the talk of giving up my child for adoption when the time came, but I knew I’d be settled before then.” 

“So, winning me back didn’t occur to you at all when you agreed to return with Mama?”

“You must be drunk, Reino. You’d have to be to think I’d come here to win you back. I came here to be cared for by family, but I can see now that was a huge mistake on my part. As soon as I can I’ll go find a place to live.”

“Mama is talking about turning Teresa’s room into a nursery for you.”

“All the more reason for me to find somewhere else to live. I will gladly give her and the rest of your family access to this baby. You will never be allowed to see him or her.”

“That’s not fair.”

“It wasn’t fair when you decided to protect me and sent a messenger to break up with me. I don’t care about fair right now. Get out of my room.”

“That’s low, Vivian. I’ve apologized.”

“But you didn’t apologize. You said you’d spend your life making it up to me, but you never once asked for my forgiveness or said you were sorry. Get out, Reino, or I will let your mother kill you. I’m sure she could be more creative than you ever thought you could be. Cement flippers are probably child’s play to her.”

“Vivian, I-“

“Get out or I will walk out of this house and no one here will ever see me again.”

“You can’t do that to Mama.”

“I won’t be the one doing it. You will.”

“I will return to my new home and I won’t come see you again unless you ask. I promise.”

“Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. You’ll suffocate and die.”

I pulled the covers over my head and let the tears fall freely. I was glad he left on his own. I was serious about leaving and never letting anyone in his family see me again. I didn’t want to do that to them, but if it would get him away from me, I’d be willing to give it a try. What really made me angry was how I let him upset me again. I talked to him like he didn’t bother me. Why couldn’t I really not let him bother me?

“Vivian? Mama wants to know if you’d like to join us for dinner?”

“I don’t know if I feel up to it, Gianna.”

“It’ll just be the five of us. No big crowd tonight.”

I laughed.

“Growing up, five was a crowd at my house. I understand it isn’t here. Give me a moment to compose myself and I’ll be down.”

“Okay.” She paused for a breath. The door didn’t close. She had something on her mind. “Can I talk to you before we eat?”

“Can it wait until after dinner?”

“It won’t take but a few minutes. I have something I need to talk to someone about and I think you’re the only person I can talk to about this.”

“Okay. Give me a moment to compose myself after Reino’s visit. I’ll meet you at the bottom of the stairs.”

“Reino was in here? With you? Mama is going to have his hide this time.”

She didn’t dally at the door this time. She shut it good and loud. I sighed and rolled out of bed. My body protested. I wanted to sleep too, but food was just as important as sleep. I could eat, help clean up and then return to bed.

I looked at my reflection. I looked like I’d been crying. If Gianna told everyone Reino was in my room, perhaps it would be expected. I opened the door and found Gianna and Mama waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. 

“Gianna says that Reino was in your room. Are you okay?”

“I”m fine. He promised that he won’t bother me again until I ask to see him. I told him not to hold his breath.”

“Good. He left you a note. I will leave it for you to read then instead of getting rid of it. Dinner is ready.”

“Gianna has something she wants to talk to me about. Do we have a few minutes?”

“Of course. Join us when you’re ready.”

Mama kissed both of us on our cheeks before disappearing into the kitchen. Gianna took my hand and led me into the sitting room. She sat down on a sofa. I sat down next to her. 

“The guilt is eating me alive, Vivian.”

“Guilt over what?”

“Liliana. Isadore swore me to secrecy when he confessed to me how he felt. I couldn’t say anything to her during all her mooning over him. I know she was upset about that and that’s part of why she left. I don’t know how to handle this guilt.”

“Have you talked to Isadore about this?”

“Why? It’s my guilt.”

“Yes, but it was the promise he made you agree to that has brought this on. Have you talked to him about it?”

“No, I haven’t. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Besides, I would start talking and he’ll smooth down my hair and next thing I know he’s kissing me and I don’t want him to stop.”

“Do you two ever talk?”

“We talk some. At dinner with everyone else, we talk.”

“When it’s just you and him, do you ever talk?”

“Not really. I’ll start talking about something and then the kissing and you know the rest.”

“So, you’ve never really had a conversation with him?”

“I guess I never have, but you and Reino didn’t talk and got along fine.”

I started laughing. 

“I know we never sounded like we ever talked, but we talked quite a bit. Mostly we did that in private. No one needed to hear our conversations, but I sometimes wish someone had heard them so I had proof that he said some of the things he said to me.”

“So, what’s your advice?”

“First, talk to Isadore. He needs to know how you feel. If he doesn’t care to listen, maybe he isn’t the one for you. A relationship is more than physical. How do you feel with you’re with him? And I’m talking about before the kissing starts.”

“When it all started, I was so happy with him. I felt like a whole person with him.”

“And now?”

“Since Liliana’s death, I’ve felt like an afterthought to him.”

“Maybe he’s feeling guilty over her death too and just needs the opportunity to talk about it. I bet if you talk to him, you’ll find you’re both feeling bad about it and can help each other.”

“And second?”

“Talk to Mama. She can help too. I know she wouldn’t like you feeling guilt over anything with Liliana, so talk to her about it.”

She threw her arms around my neck.

“Thank you, Vivian. I’m sorry my brother has been such an ass to you. We’ve all missed you.”

“I missed all of you, Gianna. Now, go tell Isadore you want to talk to him after dinner and don’t let him talk you out of it with kisses.”

“I will. I promise.”

We both stood up and went back to the kitchen where the other three were eating.

“No Antonio or Marco tonight?”

“They’re both with Reino tonight.”

“Business,” I stated because what else could it be with the three of them.

“No, he needed some help with some last minute changes he wanted to make on his new house,” Mama answered with a knowing smile. 

I closed my eyes. Earlier in the day she threatened to kill him for me. By dinnertime she was on his side. Perhaps I would have been better off walking out the front door and never coming back. I sat down at my place to find the note Mama mentioned with a perfect red rose. It took every ounce of strength not to rip them both to shreds and throw them away. There was a part of me that still loved the jerk. I hated that part of me.

My Dearest Vivian,

I was serious when I said I would return to my new home and not contact you again. I can’t do that without trying one last time to tell you that I love you still and my life is empty without you in it. I know I hurt you in so many ways when you needed me most. In trying to keep you safe, I hurt you worse than I ever could have imagined. I ask for, no beg and plead for, your forgiveness. I don’t deserve it just as I don’t deserve you, but I will work every day of the rest of my life to make it up to you if you will grant me the chance to try.

Yours always,  
Reino

“When he has completed the last minute changes he wants me to bring you to his home, when he’s not there, so I can show what he’s been doing for you and little bean.”

“I don’t want anything done for me from him. He’s done more than enough already.”

“Think about it. I won’t force you to go. Other than some late work nights, he’ll take good care of the both of you.”

The whole time we were talking, Isadore, Gianna and Mr. Bianchi ate their dinner. As soon as Mama said the both of you, Mr. Bianchi, because I still couldn’t yet bring myself to call him papa, dropped his fork and stared hard at me.

“Are you pregnant, Vivian?”

“Yes, Sir, I am.”

“I thought the doctors told you that you couldn’t have children.”

“They did. I guess they aren’t exactly experts, are they?”

Then he did something I did not expect that stoic man to ever do. He got up from the table, pulled Mama out of her chair and proceeded to dance around the table to music only they could hear while he laughed and laughed. I had never seen him have an emotional response to anything. Granted, I was unable to attend Liliana’s funeral, but I imagine that he didn’t shed a tear in public. All his mourning probably happened behind closed doors when he was completely alone. I couldn’t imagine it happened any other way. I leaned over to Gianna.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen Papa this happy before.”

“This is happy?”

“This is very happy. If you weren’t pregnant, he would probably be dancing with you.”

“Why is he happy?”

“He’s going to be a pappy.”

“I am never leaving the house without an armed escort, am I?”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Hoping it was okay to eat while he celebrated, I picked up my fork and started eating. Mama made lasagna. I wanted to think she had done it just for me. For once my stomach wasn’t rebelling on me, so I cleaned my plate and had a second helping. Either I ate fast that night or Papa was really celebrating. He finally returned Mama to her chair before pulling me out of mine for a hug. 

“Where there is death, there too is life. If Reino doesn’t fix everything between the two of you, I’ll turn him in to the feds myself. Work with him. Give him the chance to make things right.”

“I’ll do my best, Papa.”

He hugged me again.

“Thank you, Vivian. You both deserve all the happiness in the world and that baby deserves a happy home to be raised in.”

“You’re right. I don’t know if I can get past my anger at him deciding what was best for me without consulting me when I needed him the most.”

“Yes, he has a lot to answer for to a higher power than any you’ll find on earth. He also needs to do a lot to earn your trust again after he so callously threw it aside. But,” he lifted my chin to look at him, “you have to be willing to let him do what he must to earn that trust again.”

“I hate being wrong, you know. I’ve heard pregnant women are some of the most unbalanced people you’ll ever meet.”

He shrugged.

“You think I don’t know that? I know it very well. Reino has seen the errors of his ways and he wants to make up for them, but whether he’s allowed to do so or not starts with you.”

“Fine. Someone tell him that I will be willing to go see whatever he is doing to the house specifically for us whenever he is ready for me to see it. However, he cannot absolutely cannot be there anywhere while I’m there. I will let him know when I’m ready to see him again.”

“I will call him after we’ve eaten and tell him he may begin his work to get back into your good graces.”

“I’m sure that’s not all he wants to get into.”

I didn’t need to worry about Isadore being inappropriate. Gianna took care of him. It only lasted a week and he got to tell everyone exactly how he came to be the proud of owner of such a beautiful black eye.


	23. Chapter 23

A week later everyone who wasn’t otherwise engaged was gathered in Shirley’s room. The head nurse threatened to throw us all out on the street, but Papa smoothed her ruffled feathers and promised her some much needed medical supplies if she would be willing to overlook the occupancy rules just this once. I understood where Reino inherited his smooth talking after seeing Papa in action. 

There was more excitement buzzing through the room than flaunting hospital rules. Shirley was showing some signs that although she still have plenty of broken bones to mend, she was starting to wake up.

“See that? That fluttering to her eyelids? Doctor says that’s a good sign. She has brain activity and that’s a good thing.”

“Hayes, she squeezes hands on command. I do hope there was never doubt in your mind she wouldn’t survive this and be okay,” I stated.

He blushed.

“I know, but there are always doubts for me. Until she is sitting up and telling me that I’ve been letting myself go too much, I won’t believe she’s going to be okay. Ridiculous, right?”

“Not at all.”

I patted his hand.

“I’m sorry I showed up at the hospital unannounced to take you home. I knew what Reino was planning but I didn’t know he had sent Shirley to talk to you instead of going himself.”

“It’s fine, Hayes. I’m sorry I was so mean to you.”

“I don’t blame you one bit. After I left here, I found Reino and we had it out.”

“You didn’t. Hayes, what an incredibly foolish thing of you to do.”

“It wasn’t. I had to carry him to his room after I beat some sense into him. There’s a reason I’m his bodyguard, you know.”

“Apparently. I have a whole new amount of respect for you. I know some of that had to do with him making your wife do his dirty work, but thank you for proving that if I’d ever need someone to put him in his place, I have someone to turn to for help.”

“Anytime you need it, Miss Vivian.”

“Hayes, call me Vivian.”

“I can do that, Vivian.”

“Are you ready to go to Reino’s house?”

I looked at Mama. 

“Already? He was preparing a surprise and it’s ready?”

“He can be persuasive when he wants to be. He’s probably had someone working around the clock to make the changes he wanted. He wants you to see it. He’s away because he wants to come see Shirley. Now is the time to go, unless you don’t want to see what he’s been up to.”

“I said I’d go and I’ll go. I make no promises that I will ever ask to see him again or make it easy for him wheedle his way back into my life. I’m quite content without him in it.”

“Yes, you are quite happy as long as you have your books. Let’s go.”

Before I could respond that a good book is all I really need, she took my arm and Isadore followed us out of the room. We stood in front of the hospital while he retrieved the car from wherever he had to park. 

“I think you’ll like this, Vivian.”

“I think you were lying to me when you said you were mad at Reino for what he did. You sure seem to be working with him to get us back together.”

“I’m not trying to get you back together. I know he is remorseful for what happened and he’s trying to make it up to you. I’m just trying to get you to see what he’s doing. Beyond that, hate him to your heart’s content, but know that no matter how much you hate him, you’ll always have a little reminder of him in your life. How will you handle this baby reminding you of him as it grows up?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far in my thinking. I was hoping it would look more like me than him and I wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

Isadore pulled up in the car and got out to help us into the backseat. We rode to Reino’s house in silence. I didn’t say anything until I realized we weren’t going how I thought we should be going to get there.

“Where are we going?”

“To Reino’s new house.”

“He didn’t rebuild on the old one?”

“No, it didn’t have the safety requirements he had in mind. He found a place outside of town. It’s gated all the way around and patrolled around the clock. The gate locks and must be opened by someone.”

“Someone couldn’t just get a heavy truck to crash the gates?”

“Not according to the gentleman who installed it. If he lied to Reino, it will be the last lie he tells. There are so many security features, but he can’t tell us about all of them. Although, I will get to show you one of them.”

“What does his security features mean to me? Is he trying to prove that if I will let him be a part of our child’s life, he’ll take good care of him or her? If that’s his plan, he can forget it.”

“I don’t think that’s his plan. He just wants to show you, well, you can see for yourself.”

Isadore stopped the car at the front door and quickly got out to help us out. Mama walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A tuxedoed gentleman opened the door.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Bianchi. And this must be Miss Shaw. Mr. Bianchi said you would be bringing her to see the improvements on the house. Please come in.”

I followed Mama through the door and he closed it behind us.

“Has he been gone long, Edward?”

“No, ma’am, he hasn’t. He said he would be gone for quite some time. You have plenty of time.”

“Good. Hopefully we’ll need it.”

I didn’t know where to rest my eyes. The inside felt as opulent and well put together as anything I had ever seen in my life. It was even more comfortable than the home I had grown up in. The grand staircase dominated the entryway, drawing the eye upwards. It was very much the same layout as his previous home, but this one had to be bigger. It felt like more space. I thought I’d be taken and shown something upstairs, Mama started walking towards the back of the house.

“Where are we going?”

“The first room a good woman who loves to cook should want to see first.”

“Isn’t it just a kitchen? Why do I need to s-“

I knew nothing about appliances and floor planning, but I could tell both had been well considered when this kitchen was designed. 

“This room was done before the incident this summer. He wanted you to have the best of everything.”

“Is that what’s here?”

“I’m envious of this kitchen. If you would decide to take up your cooking lessons again, I’d want to come here to teach you.”

“Okay, so this was already done before he left me. What else has he done that will change my mind because this isn’t enough.”

“Follow me.”

She led me to the butler’s pantry where Edward waited with the door in the floor opened for us.

“Let me help you, Miss Shaw.”

He held out his hand to me and I took it as I stepped down the stairs. They weren’t as steep as they had been in the old house, which was a good thing because with my growing belly, I wasn’t always steady on my feet. Once I reached the floor, I stepped away to let Mama come down without running into me. I heard a click as the lights came on around me. 

“He made his hidey hole more comfortable?”

There was a king sized bed, a walled off bathroom and a smaller version of the kitchen upstairs down there. I was about to turn to Mama when I noticed something tucked away on the other side of the bathroom. I walked over to it. He had put a crib in as well. I shook my head.

“He wanted to have a walled off room for the baby done by today, but it was either that or what he wanted done upstairs. He decided upstairs was more important. This area will have a wall so little bean can have his own room while Mom and Dad have their own room, if they would need it.”

“Great, if someone gets through the security measures he has put into place, we have a safe room to escape gunfire.”

“This room is also a tornado shelter, or so we’ve been told it will work for that. A big storm comes up, you come down here and are comfortable for the night while not worrying whether the storm will blow you away. It’s a very smart room to have in a house.”

“Yes, it is. What else to you have to show me?”

“Follow me.”

I followed her out of the safe room and back to the staircase. She led me upstairs and to where Reino’s room was in the old house. She stood outside the door and waited. I opened it up. I had thought his old room was huge. This room dwarfed it. There was a king sized bed and a very large closet. The corner is what drew my attention again. There was a bassinet next to a rocking chair and a changing table and a dresser. I opened up the drawers and it was filled with diapers and baby clothes that smelled freshly laundered. 

I shut the drawer and walked into the bathroom. It was larger than his other bathroom. The bathtub was larger and there were two sinks. I opened the linen closet to find clean towels but also baby bath items. I closed the door and returned to Mama.

“So he bought a bunch of baby stuff? Is that supposed to impress me?”

“Did you check the closet?”

“I saw there were two doors, but no, I didn’t look. Why?”

“Go look.”

I cautiously opened the door and took a look around. I didn’t know why, but I was suddenly afraid that Reino was going to pop out from behind a door to ask me to move in with him, or worse, ask me to marry him. I didn’t see anything in the closet so I opened the door. Every inch of space was filled with dresses and shoes and anything else a woman could want to ever wear. 

“This is ridiculous. These clothes don’t fit me and they won’t fit me even after the baby is born. Eventually they will, but they’ll be out of style by then.”

I pulled a dress off the hanger and held it up to me. He had actually bought maternity clothes for me. He had replaced my entire wardrobe. I was in shock. His house improvements weren’t just about showing me I should let him know his child. They were about making this a home for the three of us. I sunk to the floor in tears. I couldn’t believe he had gone to all that trouble for me, to prove to me that he was serious about having made a mistake. 

I don’t know how long I sat there crying, but I was surprised when the door opened and Mama appeared.

“Is everything okay?”

“Why did he go through all this trouble? How did he get this closet stocked with appropriate clothes for me?”

“He loves you and wants to make a life with you, Vivian.”

“What if he decides this world is too dangerous for the two of us and he pushes me away again, forcing me to take our child away? How do I explain why he isn’t around for us? How do I go through it all again and survive?”

She knelt down next to me and pulled me into her arms.

“Love is a risk. It’s always a risk, even if you’re married to a run of the mill man. You have to decide if that risk is worth taking.”

I nodded. 

“I know that’s what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to take that risk again.”

“Let me show you one of the other rooms, Vivian. Maybe it will help you decide.”

She got up and helped me up before leading me to another room. Again she stood outside the door and waited for me to open the door. When I did, I couldn’t contain the gasp. Reino stood in the middle of what looked like a nursery filled with a few toys to show it’s true purpose, dressed in a tuxedo and holding a single red rose. I walked towards him, scared at why he was there.

“I thought you weren’t going to force me to see you.”

“I wasn’t going to, but I can’t stand the thought of not being with you.” He handed me the rose. “I am so very sorry for all the hurt and pain I’ve put you through.” He knelt down in front of me, untied something from the ribbon on the rose and took my left hand in his hand. “Vivian Shaw, will you do me the great honor of consenting to become my wife?”


	24. Chapter 24

Time seemed to stand still as he patiently waited for me to answer. I felt blindsided by his proposal, even though I should have seen it coming. All the signs were there. He wanted an answer. I knew what I wanted to say; I was serious when I said that I never wanted to see him again. That was the knee jerk reaction. On the other hand, he had finally apologized verbally. He was willing to turn his world upside down again to make me happy and take care of me. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

“Reino-“

“Please don’t say no, Vivian. If that’s your answer, I would prefer you to turn around and walk out. Hearing you say the word no would destroy what little is left of me.”

“I’m sorry,” was all I could manage to blurt out before turning and running from the room. I didn’t know where to go or what to think anymore.

I heard his footsteps following me. I wanted to move faster, but it’s hard when your body doesn’t want to move like it used to do. After fumbling with the front door for what felt like minutes, I finally got it opened. Isadore stared at me as I rushed past him to collapse on the knoll on the other side of the driveway to have a good cry.

“Miss Vivian?”

“I’ve got this, Isadore. Go help Mama.”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi.”

He put his arm around me and I brushed him off. He tried again and I pushed him away. The third time he wasn’t gentle about it. He didn’t bruise me, but he was going to let me have a good cry on his shoulder whether I liked it or not. I didn’t like it, but what choice was there? Funny thing was, I wasn’t even really sure what I was crying about right then. Was I crying over the amazing house he had built for us? Was it everything he had done to provide for my needs and the needs of our unborn child’s first months of life without being asked? Was it the shock of being proposed to when the last time I saw him I threatened to walk out of his life forever? I think I found my answer with that last one. 

“I’m sorry. I rushed that, didn’t I?”

“You did always say that when you saw an opportunity you took it, didn’t you?”

“Something like that. Can we try this again?”

“The proposal or us in general?”

“Us in general. I miss you being in my life, Vivian. I moved too fast with the marriage thing. I know that now, but I want to be there for you for everything.”

“Everything? For the 2 am cravings? And the morning sickness? All of it?”

“I mean it when I say everything. Brennan has left town with his family to escape punishment so he’s no longer a threat. I can be there for you and do everything for you.”

“And what happens when there’s another threat? What happens if someone else threatens your life and my life and our child’s life? Are you going to brush me aside then? Make decisions for me and our child without discussing them with me and expect me to go along with whatever you decide and be happy about it?”

“I know how to deal with these things better than you do, Vivian.”

“Wrong answer, Reino.”

I pushed myself away from him, got up off the ground and walked to the car. Isadore rushed to open the door for me, but I didn’t bother waiting for him. I got into the backseat and waited until Mama and Isadore joined me. Mama took my hand.

“That could have gone better.”

“It could have, but only if he could get over feeling like my thoughts have no bearing on my life. Yes, I know that when it comes to safety his knowledge is superior to mine, but I wish he could agree that talking to me about why he’s doing what he’s isn’t a bad thing to do. He’s so frustrating.”

She chuckled.

“He’s so much like his papa. My Ferdi did the same thing to me when we were first married and he only got worse when when I got pregnant for the first time. They mean well. They see us as delicate flowers subject to wilting. What they don’t know until we show them is that we are snap dragons who can take care us and our own.”

“How do I make him see that?”

“I made Ferdi see that the night I drew a gun on him when I thought he was a burglar breaking into the house. He didn’t know I was a terrible shot, but I scared him enough that those clothes went out with the next trash day. After that he didn’t worry so much about us. He did teach me how to be a better shot, but he didn’t worry about us as much and he started including me when it came to making decisions about safety for our family.”

“Anyone have a gun I can point at Reino’s head?”

“Does it have to be loaded?”

“Isadore, you think I’m teasing, but I’m not.”

“I know you’re not teasing, Miss Vivian.”

“What else can he do? Changing how you want him to change is going to take time, I’m afraid.”

“I want him to prove that he’s invested in being a part of my world. Buying stuff for me and for the baby isn’t enough. He says he wants to be there for the unpleasant side of this pregnancy. He had better find a way to prove it .”

By dinnertime I would discover the beginning of Reino’s plan. He packed up all those maternity dresses he bought for me and sent them to the house. I had clothes that fit me again. I didn’t have to worry about not having anything to wear. There was plenty of everything for me. I had a light jacket and a very nice winter coat as well. Gianna helped me unpack everything. 

“He bought a lot of stuff. How long did he expect you’d be pregnant? Years?”

“I’m not sure, Gianna. He might have not known exactly how large I am or how big I’ll get and wanted to make sure I’d have something to wear no matter what.”

She picked up a dress I thought would be lovely worn to Midnight Mass.

“It’s a very sweet gesture.”

“I know it is. Especially given that he doesn’t have Shirley around to go clothes shopping with him. I wonder who went with him.”

“He might have gone himself.”

“Do you think he would do that for me?”

“I think he would.”

“Do you think I should take him back?”

“I think you’re doing the right thing by making him prove that he’s worthy of having you, Vivian.”

She picked through some more of the dresses and sorted them by color. 

“Have you talked to Isadore about Liliana yet?”

She sighed. I knew the answer to that question.

“I tried to talk to him, but he started playing with my hair and that was it. I was lost to his lips. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make him be serious and talk to me.”

“Gianna, you’re going to have to make him listen to you. If he won’t talk to you, he isn’t worthy of you no matter how much you love him. Make him talk. Do something with your hair so he can’t play with it and then sit him down to talk about it.”

“I know. Can you help me?”

“I would be happy to help you with your hair. The rest of it has to be you, Gianna.”

“I know. I need to be strong because if we aren’t going to be able to talk about things like that we shouldn’t be talking about getting married.”

“No, you probably shouldn’t be talking about marriage.”

Gianna pulled a dress out of the pile.

“Oh, Vivian! You need to put this dress on right now.”

“Right now? Why on earth should I do that?”

“I’d love to see it on you.”

“Isn’t it a bit dressy for dinner at Mama’s table?”

“Maybe, but where else are you going to wear it?”

She had a point. It was obvious that Reino bought some of those dresses for taking me around town and showing me off. Why he would want to show off a pregnant woman was beyond me, but that was what a good fourth of the dresses looked like they were meant for. 

“I guess you’re right about that. Can you help me?”

“Of course.”

After she helped me up off the floor, she helped me out of the plan day dress I had put on for the day. The dress she picked out was a beautiful shade of bluish purple with crystals sown around the hem. It was entirely too dressy for dinner at Mama’s table, but once I had it on, I didn’t want to take it off. Gianna had just helped me get the last button fastened when the doorbell rang. I shot her a look. She held her hands up in self defense.

“I don’t know who is at the door. I saw the dress and wanted you to put it on. I swear that’s all, Vivian.”

“If that’s Reino here to take me out to dinner, I would sleep with one eye open tonight, Gianna.”

Deciding that I had to face the music sooner or later, we left my room and went downstairs. To say I was surprised at our guest would have been an understatement. Reino was not the one waiting in the entryway for me.

“There she is! Our guardian angel! Come down here you sweet girl!”

“Mother Superior. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?”

“You did, you sweet girl.”

She crossed the space to give me a huge hug. Mama stood in the hallway and watched. I was hoping someone would tell me what was going on soon because nothing was making sense. 

“You’re happy I left the convent?”

“No, I’m happy that we’re adding a building dedicated just to the housing and care of unwed mothers thanks to you.”

“Mother Superior, I still haven’t made it to my parents’ estate lawyer to move that grant money to your mission. If someone made a large donation to you, it was not me. I’m sorry you think it was, but it wasn’t.”

“We know it wasn’t you, dear.”

She finally let go of me just as the world started spinning. Nothing she was saying was making sense. 

“If you know it wasn’t me, what makes you think you owe me thanks for it?”

“Our anonymous donor insisted that the money be used to build a shelter specifically for unwed mothers and that it should be named for you. I know that you would never make that demand yourself, but obviously someone in a position to make a sizable donation knows of your plight to find shelter after your home was destroyed and wants to make sure it never happens to anyone else ever again.”

Mama and Papa immediately indicated they weren’t the source of the money. That left only one other source; Reino. I wanted to insist that she refuse the money and point out that it was more or less blood money. Then I thought about the few girls I met at the shelter who were there because they had nowhere else to go. Their families kicked them out of the house with nothing but the clothes on their backs simply because they were pregnant. The father of the baby saw it as not his problem. He didn’t want anything to do with mother or child. I was lucky that I was wanted somewhere by lots of people. More importantly I was wanted by the father of my baby. He hadn’t turned me away because I was pregnant. He wanted me and the baby in his life. My stubbornness be damned. I’d have to learn over time to deal with his need to keep us protected.

“I can’t believe he would do such a thing.”

Gianna draped her arm around my shoulders as the rest of the family surrounded me. 

“You said he’d have to prove that he really deserved to have you back in his life. I’d say this is a good start.”

“As much as I hate to admit you’re right, you’re right. When does construction on this new shelter begin, Mother Superior?”

“It is started. A contractor arrived with all the licenses and permits and men to start working this morning. We’ll have it finished be dedicated on Easter. Won’t that be marvelous?”

Easter. He timed it to be done when we first met. I couldn’t contain the emotions any longer. I was lucky Gianna was there to catch me when my legs decided I didn’t need to remain standing up any longer. I heard panicked screams before I escaped into emotionless oblivion.


	25. Chapter 25

“Is the baby okay?”

“The baby is fine. Strong heartbeat and sounds like he or she is moving well.”

“Thank God they’re both okay.”

“I want to keep her overnight to make sure everything is okay, but she should be fine to return home tomorrow.”

“Will I be allowed to stay with her?”

“That will be up to her.”

I recognized those voices or at least one of those voices. It was Reino, but what was he doing anywhere near me? What was a voice I didn’t know doing in Mama’s house? I decided to open my eyes and figure out where I was before I let my thoughts go any further. I opened one eye just a slit and looked around. It looked familiar and yet didn’t look familiar. I groaned and found a large, warm hand in mine.

“Just rest, Vivian. You’re fine. The baby is fine. Everything is fine.”

“Where am I?”

“When you took a tumble down the last few steps, we thought it best to have you checked out by a doctor.”

“You’re going to be okay, Vivian. You rest here and you can return home tomorrow. We’ll take good care of you.”

“I know you will, doctor. Thank you.”

“I’ll be around to check on you later.”

He left us alone. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alone with Reino. I wanted Mama and Papa and all the rest of the family with me. I was ready to forgive him for everything and I knew I shouldn’t be ready for that yet.

“Here’s my next question. What are you doing here, Reino? You weren’t even at your parent’s house when I fainted. How did you know to come here?”

“Mama called me and sent Isadore for me.”

“You know how to drive.”

“She thought I would probably kill myself getting here if I tried to drive myself. Are you okay?”

“I fell down a few steps, apparently. I’m fine.”

“No, are you okay? Your shoulder, me leaving you, everything.”

“No, I’m not okay. I’m broken and I’m hurt. Mother Superior coming to tell me about the new building dedicated to unwed mothers who have nowhere else to go showed me everything that I do have in my life. I have family who want me. They aren’t blood family, but they’re as close as I have anymore. They didn’t push me out on the streets. The father of my baby wants me in his life and at our last meeting wanted to make me his wife. I’m actually pretty lucky even if I’m broken and hurting.”

He sat down and pulled me into his arms. I couldn’t help melting into his embrace as I had done so often before. He toed his shoes off and curled up next to me.

“The father of your baby wants you to know that offer still stands. No pressure. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Reino.”

“For what? Insisting that you marry me?”

“For understanding that I will but I need time.”

“Then why don’t you slip this on and we’ll make it official?”

I didn’t know where he had that ring hidden, but he pulled it out of thin air it seemed and was ready to slip it on my finger. It was simple but it was gorgeous. It had one solitary diamond that had to be at least three carats in an old European cut. It fit perfectly.

“It’s beautiful, Reino.”

“Not as beautiful as you are, but it’ll do.”

He was kissing the tears from my cheeks before I knew they were falling. As soon as his lips found mine all our time apart felt like it all fell so far away from that moment in time. It was just him and me together as it should be.

“Does this mean everyone is back together and happy and little bean has both his mama and his papa to care for him?”

Reino grabbed my left hand and showed it to everyone. There were many squeals and screams of happiness as we were both enveloped in a mass of arms hugging and hands shaking.

“Everyone stop!” Everyone froze. I had forgotten how commanding he could be. “Vivian is to rest and must not be jostled so much. We know you’re excited for us, but please, be gentle with her. Jostle me as much as you want.”

I was left safely in the bed while he was hauled out of bed to be congratulated. I couldn’t help smiling while Mama hugged him and Papa and Isadore shook his hand and ruffled his hair. It looked like any family congratulating a happy couple. Well, one half of a happy couple. I was fine with it all. After all, they never thought he’d be happy again after Emma, so for him to be on his way to being married and a father probably exceeded their wildest dreams for him. It wasn’t much longer before Mama drug him away from the celebrating and back over to the bed where she made him crawl back in next to me.

“Okay. Enough excitement for one day. Mama to be needs some rest as does little bean. Reino, I charge you with making sure that Vivian isn’t bothered over night with all the checking they like to do.”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Vivian, you rest. You don’t worry about anything else but resting.”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Call as soon as you know they’re letting you go home.”

“Yes, Mama.”

No one argued when Mama began to herd everyone towards the door. The group parted like the Red Sea to let someone into the room. I wondered what the doctor might have forgotten since no one argued with whomever it was.

“Hayes!”

“Hi Vivian, Reino. I saw your name and wanted to come by and see what was going on.”

“I’m fine. I took a tumble down a few steps. For the baby’s safety they brought me here. How’s Shirley?”

“She opens her eyes completely now. She’ll smile at me.”

“She hasn’t spoken yet?”

“No talking yet, but we know she’s definitely still there and she is going to be okay. I still can’t thank you enough for saving her life.”

I laid my head on Reino’s shoulder and yawned.

“I didn’t save her life, but you’re welcome, Hayes. She was the only friend I had left at the time. I couldn’t let her go without a fight.”

“Speaking of fights.”

Reino chuckled.

“I learned my lesson and I’m making things right with her.”

He showed Hayes my left hand which earned him a hearty hand clap to his shoulder.

“Just remember what I told you, Vivian. I’m not afraid to beat a little sense into him if you’d need me to do it.”

“I won’t forget it, ever.”

Reino groaned.

“You told her about that?” Hayes nodded and grinned. “Now I can’t tell her that there isn’t anyone who can best me in a fight.”

“I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry at all. Now, I’m going to let you get some sleep. I need some sleep. Mrs. Brennan is with Shirley to keep vigil tonight, so I’m going to go sleep in a real bed, somewhere.”

“You know Mama will give you a place to sleep, Hayes.”

“I don’t want to bother them.”

“They were just leaving. Trust me, after the excitement, no one will be sleeping anytime soon. You know she considers you family. She will happily feed you and take care of you because you look like you could use some mothering.”

“Thank you, Reino. I think I will do that. Good night, you two. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Hayes.”

Hayes shuffled out of the room. I didn’t know how that man had any energy left. He looked like he was wearing the same clothes I had last seen him in, but that had only been a day or two before. Time was getting away from me. I wasn’t even sure what day it was anymore.

“Mrs. Brennan, is she related to the Brennan that caused all the problems for us?”

Reino sighed. 

“You really should be sleeping, Vivian. We can talk about this tomorrow.”

“You think that’s going to make me forget the question, don’t you?”

“No, I’m hoping it’ll make you forget the question.”

“I’m not going to forget. Is she related to him or not?”

“She’s his elderly mother.”

“And he’s not worried about her safety and leaving her behind?”

“She’s nearly seventy. What type of threat is she? I can answer that for you. She isn’t a threat. No one will bother her. She never agreed with Brennan causing problems anyway.”

“Did you used to be friendly with him?”

“Before all this happened? Yes, I was. His father and my father built an empire together. I grew up with Patrick. I hoped our children would grow up and be friends. He got greedy and he paid dearly for it.”

“So, we don’t need to worry about him using her for anything?”

“Trust me. He is more worried about us using her to get to him. He left the state and disappeared into Chicago. The rest of his associates are dead or scattered. He isn’t a threat to us anymore.”

“Should we be talking about this here?”

“We’re not in danger here. Now that I’ve answered your question will you, please, close your eyes and go to sleep?”

“Yes, I can do that. Do you think they’ll be upset if you stay here with me?”

“The doctor said it was up to you.”

“No, I mean in the bed with me.”

“Upset or not, I’m not going anywhere. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep. You’re safe.”

I snuggled up to him and closed my eyes. Sleep wasn’t hard to come by, thankfully and I was soon fast asleep. 

I had heard pregnant women have strange dreams, but I never had before. Even with all the trauma of Reino breaking up with me and the tornado the month before, I hadn’t had dreams that made me wake up and wonder what they meant. That dream did just that.

I looked down and my belly was huge. Not normal baby huge, I felt. I had never seen a woman quite so big ever. There were people in white coats all around me. I didn’t know where I was, but seeing the white coats, I assumed I was at the hospital. In twos they would come over, place their hands on my belly, converse with each other and then walk away.

“What’s going on? Is there something wrong with the baby?”

They ignored me as I repeated that over and over again until I was screaming it. Finally one came over to me. Although it didn’t have a face, it came over to me.  


“Not baby. Babies, Miss. They need help being born or all three of you are in trouble.”

“What? Why? What’s wrong with me that they need help?”

Again I was ignored until I started screaming. One of the white coats returned to me. It was faceless but it had red eyes. I was afraid. As soon as it pulled out a carving knife I screamed, waking myself up. 

“Vivian? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

Reino was still holding me, but the panic in his voice sacred me nearly as much as my dream. Once the tears stopped and I was oriented as to where I was.

“Oh Reino! It was horrible! They were going to cut the babies out of me because they were having problems. None of them had faces and none of them would tell me what was going on. I was so scared.”

He held me close and rubbed my back. He remembered how to calm me down. Why that surprised me was beyond me, but it did.

“It was just a dream. No one is going to cut the baby from you. Everything is fine.”

“I can still see their red eyes glowing in their featureless faces.”

“Shhh. They’re gone now. Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ve chased the nurses away at least twice, so I believe it’s at least two. Sleep.”

“I’ll try, but it might be a little bit before I can go back to sleep after that.”

“Just try. For me.”

“I will.” I bit my lip. “You aren’t going to wake up in the middle of the night some night while I’m feeding the baby and realize that you’ve made a horrible mistake in marrying me, will you?”

“Why would you even ask me such a question?”

“You sent your chauffeur’s wife to break up with me after you had a panic attack over keeping me safe. Are you saying you won’t do that again?”

He went silent. That wasn’t a good sign. I was ready to give him back the ring when he sighed.

“You’re right. You have every reason to question me. I know that my promises are more or less empty right now, but I swear that I will work every day of my life to make this up to you. I know that I’ve completely lost your trust. You’re willing to give some of it back by accepting my proposal. I know that is a precious gift. I will earn all of it back and I know that will take time. Does that set your mind at ease?”

“It does, yes. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, sleep or I’ll let one of those nurses come in here and do a check on you.”

“Gladly.”

He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. Somehow that made things feel right in the world.


	26. Chapter 26

The next morning I woke up with Reino’s arms wrapped around me like we had never been apart. He had managed to keep the nurses from waking me up over night. I was thankful for that. I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in, well, I couldn’t remember when. 

“You should still be asleep. They’re going to check on you again here in a bit. If you’re awake, I’ll have to let them check you over.”

“Would that be such a bad thing for them to examine me?”

“Yes. You need your rest.”

“If they examine me and find that everything is as it should be, maybe we can go home.”

“That would be nice. That huge house feels lonely all by myself.”

I couldn’t help laughing at him.

“What makes you think that I’m going to go back to your house with you, Reino? I’m going back to Mama’s house. That’s where I live now.”

He sat up and took my left hand.

“But you accepted my proposal, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t say yes, but I didn’t exactly say no, either.”

“Then, let’s hear a yes then before I begin to waste energy being happy that you have accepted my apology and said yes to marrying me.”

“I will marry you, Reino. Yes, I’ll marry you without question now. However, until it’s official, I want to stay living at Mama’s house. I don’t want to move in with you until it’s officially official.”

“Why?”  


“What’s to stop us from keeping things as they are without ever getting married? I will not raise our child like that.”

“But you’re willing to raise it on your own without any involvement from me.”

“If that’s what I have to do to protect my heart from being hurt again, yes, I’m willing to do that, but you proposed and I have accepted. Do you want to change your mind now that I don’t want to immediately move back into your home?”

“If we were married, you’d move into our home today?”

“If we were legally married, yes, I would move in with you without question.” Reino got out of the bed, slipped his shoes and jacket on. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting a nurse and the doctor to get you discharged. We might have to do some traveling, but you will be Mrs. Reinaldo Bianchi by the end of the day.” I tried to get out of the bed to stop him. “No, stay there. I will take care of this and you, both of you. Rest.”

“You’re crazy, Reino.”

“Crazy in love with you.”

“I’m trying to decide if that’s a good thing or not. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Now, when I have ever done anything stupid?” he asked with a quick kiss to my cheek before disappearing out the door.

It wasn’t but half an hour later that the doctor came rushing in with a nurse. He looked like he hadn’t taken much time or care in getting dressed. I wondered what kind of threats or promises Reino made to get him to the hospital so quickly. 

“Good morning, Miss Shaw. How are you feeling today?”

“Pregnant.”

He chuckled as he looked at my chart.

“Why aren’t there any overnight checks in here? Nurse, did the overnight nurse not fill out her paperwork completely?”

“She said that Mr. Bianchi threatened her to within an inch of her life if she woke Miss Shaw up to do anything. He wanted Miss Shaw to sleep and that was what was going to happen or else.”

“That is one protective gentleman you have there.”

“You have no idea, doctor. At least he claims me and his child, so I’m lucky there.”

“Yes, well then, let’s take a look at you. If everything looks as good as they did last night, I don’t see any reason to keep you any longer. Will he be returning soon for you?”

“He said he would be right back. I assume that he will be right back.”

The door opened to admit Reino, Isadore and Gianna. I was confused about why Isadore and Gianna were with us, but if he thought they needed to be there, I was fine with it.

The doctor checked me over well. He listened to the baby before handing the stethoscope to Reino to let him hear. I wish I could have more than a mental picture of the look on his face. He was ecstatic.

“Why is everything so loud?”

“It’s not abnormal. The baby is doing well. Follow up with your physician if you have any problems. We’ll get out of your way so you may get dressed and go on your way. Let me know if there’s anything else we can do for you.”

“Thank you, Doctor. Gianna, can you help Vivian get dressed while Isadore and I wait outside?”

“Of course, Reino.”

Everyone left Gianna and I alone in the room. She helped me out of the bed. Quite a feat seeing as how I had become such a fixture in it and Reino wouldn’t let me out of it.

“It’s a good thing I got plenty of rest last night.”

“Why?”

She helped me out of the gown they managed to get me into while out cold the night before. 

“If Reino is doing what I think he’s doing, we are heading somewhere to get married as soon as possible.”

“That would make sense as to why he requested a driver and me. You’ll need witnesses and Mama will be unhappy if someone in the family doesn’t witness the marriage.”

“You know, I don’t know whether to be happy that he wants to make things legal or strangle him for being so hard headed about having me in his house as soon as possible.”

She deftly hooked up all the tiny hooks on the back of the dress.

“At least he wants to make things legal. Do you know how many of his friends haven’t made the mother of their children their wife?”

“Is it a lot?”

“It’s a lot.”

“Have you talked to Isadore yet about the guilt?”

Her hands that had been brushing my hair faltered. I felt I didn’t need an answer, but she was going to do so anyway. I let her talk.

“I’ve tried again to talk to him, Vivian. I swear I have. He doesn’t want to talk. He wants to kiss me and I’m too weak to argue with him. All he talks about when he does talk is our wedding and how big it will be since we both come from large families. I don’t know what to do.”

“First, you are going to make your lips off limits until he’s willing to talk about something besides a wedding. If he hasn’t proposed, he has no room to talk about the ceremony or reception or anything else.”

“That’s not entirely true.” She pulled a chain with a diamond ring on it out from under her blouse. “He has proposed, but I don’t want to announce anything until everything is settled between you and Reino.”

“Oh dear. Second, you aren’t going to do any announcing of anything until he is willing to talk to you, Gianna. How can you have a good relationship without talking?”

“I know.”

“Sometime during the feast that will invariably happen at our house after we go see whomever Reino can talk into marrying us in a hurry, you drag Isadore into the library and make him talk to you. If you don’t talk to him, I will.”

“What if he tries to kiss him way out of talking to me?”

“Tell him that not talking will put him on my bad side and he already knows that isn’t a place he wants to be, ever. If you go ahead with the wedding without having the conversation you need to have, I will personally put a stop to everything.”

“How did Reino ever have the courage to break up with you, Vivian? You are scary when you’re passionate about something.”

“That’s why he sent Shirley to talk to me about everything.”

“Wow. I completely understand why you fought so hard to keep away from him. He deserved every bit of heartache you put him through because what he did to you was ten times worse, at least. We will talk. I promise. Can I tell him that you’ll stand in our way if he doesn’t hear me out?”

“You’d better.”

Someone knocked on the door. I was dressed and my hair was done, so we left the room. Reino pulled me into his arms as soon as I stepped one step beyond the door.

“What took so long?”

“Girl talk. Are we ready to go?”

“Yes. Do you want to change into something different or are you happy with that dress?”

He started escorting me down the hallway and out to the waiting car.

I looked at the dress Gianna had talked me into putting on the previous evening. White wasn’t a color I should be getting married in based on my current condition. I wasn’t stupid.

“I like it a lot. There were a lot of dresses you bought for me that I like. I don’t know if I’ll be able to wear all of them even once before this baby is born.”

“So, we wash them and donate them to the new wing being built at the Sisters of Perpetual Sorrow. Most of those young ladies have need of things like that.”

“We need to do more than that.”

“Like what?”

“We need to make a stop before we go wherever you want to go so we can get married.”

“Where?”

“To see my parents’ estate lawyer. I’ve been meaning to go see him, but I haven’t had time. I have to follow up on a threat I made and now I know what I’d like the money earmarked for at your aunt’s convent.”

“Clothes for unwed mothers?”

“Some, yes, but also for the items the baby will need. Not all the women there want to give their babies up for adoption. Having some clothes and diapers and other needs might help them get on their feet a little faster and still keep their little ones.”

“I think that is a marvelous idea. I think you might have found your calling in life.”

“As what?”

“As a charitable benefactor of those who find themselves in a place they never expected to be. You have the strength and the resources to help them.”

“Where to then?”

“The office of one Mr.Thornton O’Reilley, please, Isadore.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ma’am. I’m not old enough to be a ma’am yet.”

Gianna elbowed him as Reino chuckled in my ear.

“Not a ma’am, but a fighter. I’d hate to face you in the ring, my love.”

“My opponent might not walk out alive.”

“I know that all too well.”

We rode in silence to my requested destination. I tried not to notice it, but Reino and Isadore both kept their attention outside the car for any threats. I don’t know what they were expecting, but they were both on high alert for something. Reino appeared to breathe a sigh of relief once we arrived at the lawyer’s office. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him, exactly, but I was ready for it.

“Do I need to come with you, boss?”

“You and Gianna stay here. I’ll go in with Vivian in case she needs someone to persuade this guy that she fully intends to do what she wants.”

Isadore got out of the car and walked around to open the car door for us. I laid a hand on Gianna’s arm.

“Now might be a good time to talk. We might be a little while.”

She nodded her understanding. I did not envy her the task ahead of her. Reino took my hand and held it instead of placing it in the crook of his arm and we entered the office building. A well-dressed, make up to die for woman greeted us.

“Miss Shaw, it is so lovely to see you again. Mr. O’Reilley isn’t expecting you today.”

“I know he isn’t, Margaret, but it is vitally important that I see him as soon as possible. I would like to make some changes to how my parents’ money is given to charities.”

“Yes, Father Wallis contacted us a few days ago concerning you taking their funding away.”

“They refused to give me a place to stay when I needed it. I am in charge of where the money goes. I would prefer it go to someone who will take care of all those in need not just those they deem worthy of caring about.”

“But, all those people will have no place to go.”

“Margaret, I suggest you show Vivian and I in to see Thornton or things might get unpleasant here.”

She stared at me. I suspected she wanted me to rebuke him or something, but I was fine with ruffling some feathers to get things taken care of in the way I wanted them done. Mama’s sister was obviously the one doing the most good for everyone. I wasn’t going to leave until she had funding she needed.

“I will see what I can do,” she finally managed to stammer before rushing through a door.

“I’ve never needed an appointment to see him before today. I wonder what blackmail Father Wallis has on Thornton if he’s planning to fight me on moving the money to someone who will do more good with it.”

“He will see you. We won’t leave here until he has done what you want him to do. You have the power over your parents’ estate. You can change things around if you choose to do so.”

The door Margaret disappeared behind slammed open. She scurried out and Thornton walked out behind her with his arms open wide like he was greeting a long lost relative.

“Miss Vivian, it is lovely to see you. Margaret tells me you would like to see me about your parents’ estate charitable contributions.”

“Yes, I would like that very much.”

Reino and I started walking towards the door he indicated, but he held up his hand.

“Just you, Vivian. I don’t want any trouble in my office today.”

Reino started to reply, but I stopped him with a look.

“Reino is my soon-to-be husband. He will walk into that office with me or I will leave here and find someone else to manage the money.”

He pursed his lips and gestured to the office. It was not going to be an easy battle. Inside his office, there were two chairs sitting across from the oversized desk Mr. O’Reilley seated himself behind.

“Please, sit down. I must say that I find it distressing that you want to move this money. Father Wallis does good work.”

“I never said he wasn’t doing good work. However, I would like to give the money to the Sisters of Perpetual Sorrow. They are doing more good in the world.”

“Why would you say that?”

“They didn’t turn me away after my home was destroyed. Sacred Heart did. I thought my name and the fact that Mother and Father were patrons meant I could count on them to give me a roof over my head. I was wrong.”

“Father Wallis said he offered you a place to stay.”

“Yes, but only after I had been told it was unacceptable for me to be there no matter who my parents were.”

“What makes this convent you want to give the money to so special?”

“They not only welcomed those who lost their homes, but they are a safe haven for unwed mothers. No other shelter in town does that. I know. I checked.”

He frowned at me. Reino took my hand since it appeared we were going to be in for a fight.

“I don’t like moving estate money around, but I’m not the one who decides who it goes to, am I? Will you consider moving only a portion of it to allow Father Wallis time to find other donors so they are able to keep their doors open?”

“I find that agreeable. We can start at diving it half and half for two months and then cut Sacred Heart’s part to twenty-five percent for two more months before cutting them off completely. Surely there are plenty of people who would be willing to pick up the slack and allow them to keep doing what they’re doing.”

“We will do that then. I will get the paperwork drawn up for you to sign.”

“How long with that take, Mr. O’Reilley?” Reino asked.

“At least two hours. Margaret types fast, but not that fast.”

“We will return in two hours so Vivian can sign the paperwork. Thank you, Mr. O’Reilley.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

He let us show ourselves out. As soon as we were outside the building, Isadore was out of the car and holding the door for us. As soon as we were safely stowed in the backseat, he got back in and got us into traffic.

“You know he’s going to try to double cross you.”

“I suspect he will do something like that. What can we do?”

“We will go see Hiram as planned and pick up Nathan on our way back.”

“I think that sounds great. Is Hiram expecting us?”

“He is. With this detour, we’ve given him enough time to do everything he needed to do, so he should be ready for us when we get there. Are you ready?”

“I am. Although, I don’t have a ring for you. Unless it wouldn’t be good for you to wear a ring.”

“It’s the one ring I’m most looking forward to wearing. I have rings for us.”

“Then I guess we are ready.”

And it felt good.


	27. Chapter 27

Instead of dropping us off and then parking, Isadore parked the car and we all walked into the courthouse together. I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled over as we walked through the door. 

“What’s funny?”

“It’s just that the last time I was here, I was filing for divorce from Bernard. It’s nice to be here for a more positive reason.”

“Are you sure marrying me is a positive?”

I stopped and pulled him to a corner where we could talk without worrying who was listening.

“Why would you ask that? You proposed. I accepted. Isn’t that enough?”

“It is, but I’m worried that you’ll remember how much I hurt you and hate me.”

“Reino, I will never forget how much you hurt me. That type of hurt never goes away. However, it does lessen over time. You’ve apologized and showed me that you are truly sorry and want to make things right. I’m doing this willingly and freely. I know the risks involved no matter who I love, but I especially know them being involved with you. Now, can we get on with this?”

He gave me a small smile and kissed me softly on the lips.

“Thank you for loving me and giving me a second chance.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s get going.”

We joined Isadore and Gianna in the middle of the entryway of the courthouse and we continued on our way.

“Anxious?”

“No, nervous.”

“Why?”

“Any time I’m this happy something happens to destroy it. I’m just waiting for that to happen.”

“Don’t. I won’t let anything ruin today.”

“I know.”

An officer of Hiram’s court met us and escorted us to his private chambers.

“Reino and Vivian, how nice to see you both. I’m glad to see you brought witnesses. Isadore and Gianna, how is everyone today?”

“Nervous.”

“Why my dear?”

“I was nervous on my first wedding day. Isn’t that how the bride is supposed to be?”

“Only if she’s unsure of what she’s doing.” He got up from behind his desk and approached me. “This might cost me my head, but are you sure you’re doing what you want to be doing, my dear? I won’t force you to sign anything if it’s not of your own free will.”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life as I am that marrying Reino is the right thing for me. That’s not what’s making me nervous.”

“Then what is making you nervous?”

“Anytime I’m this happy something happens that takes it all away.”

“As long as you aren’t having second thoughts about this. Let’s get started then, shall we?”

My second wedding wasn’t anything I ever imagined it would be, but it was perfect. I was there and the man I loved with all my heart was telling a man of the law that he’d love me in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer until death do us part. Then again, Bernard made the same promise to me and look at where that ended up. 

“You may now kiss your bride, Reino.”

I expected some chaste kiss in front of witnesses, but Reino held nothing back. By the time the kiss broke, I was ready to rip his clothes off right then and there, witnesses or not. We then signed the license where indicated.

“Congratulations, both of you. I will take the liberty of filing this for you. I doubt your mother will let you get away without having some sort of celebration even if she isn’t getting a wedding.”

“She is getting a grandchild. What else does she want from us?”

Hiram looked taken aback.

“Grandchild? You’re pregnant, Vivian?”

“Yes. Reino didn’t tell you when he arranged all of this?”

“No, he didn’t. I can now claim that there was no duress or anything above my normal fee. This was all just a man wanting to make an honest life with the mother of his child and do the right thing by her.”

“Does this mean we aren’t going to count this as a favor?”

“Oh, we’re counting this as a favor, but it helps keep us apart professionally if I can explain there were extenuating circumstances like an impending birth.”

“I’m glad I was able to help your conscience then, Judge Thomas.”

He winked at me and then shook both our hands before going to shake hands with Gianna and Isadore. 

“Hiram, Mama is preparing a feast for this evening. We would be honored if you and Mrs. Thomas joined us.”

“Of course, Reino. You know I’d sell my mother’s bones for one of your mother’s meals. I will bring your license with me tonight so someone doesn’t have to return here for it.”

“Thank you. We will see you this evening.”

“Of course.”

The court officer escorted us back to the main entryway. As we walked back to the car, I noticed that Isadore and Gianna were keeping their distance from each other. I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“What is going on there?” Reino asked.

“I suspect that someone didn’t want to have an honest conversation with someone he once described as wanting to be his first and only.”

“An honest conversation about what?”

“The guilt Gianna feels over everything that happened with Liliana. He swore her to secrecy over where his feelings belonged. She feels guilty about Liliana leaving with us like she did and everything that happened after.”

“You think Isadore is the problem?”

“Gianna has told me several times that she wants to talk about it with him, but he kisses her and that’s the end of talking.”

“Are you saying that he’s being dishonorable to my little sister?”

“No, I’m saying he’s avoiding the subject and instead of using his lips to talk, he’s using them to make her forget that she wants to say anything to him. It’s just kissing, Reino. I don’t think he would do anything to take advantage of her.”

“Isadore and I need to have a man to man talk.”

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

“I won’t. He needs to see that I won’t allow him to treat my family like that.”

“Isn’t he family?”

“Not blood.”

“Neither am I.”

He stopped and looked at me.

“Not the same thing. You are my wife and the mother of my child. You are now blood family. Every member of this family will die to protect you if needs be. Isadore was raised with us, but he will not be blood until he marries Gianna. If he doesn’t do what’s right and hear her out, that will never happen if I have anything to say about it.”

“Calm down. We have to ride with them until we finally can go home. I don’t want to distress her.”

“I agree. Smile.”

We arrived at the car. Gianna was already in the front seat. Isadore was holding the back door open for us. We crawled in and he got us on the road.

“Home, Mr. Bianchi?”

“No, we need to stop and pick up Nathan and then go back to Mr. O’Reilley’s office for Vivian to sign the papers that should be ready.”

“Whatever you need, boss.”

We arrived at Nathan’s office. Reino disappeared through the front doors and returned less than five minutes later with Nathan in tow. He sat in the backseat on the other side of Reino. He had his briefcase, but he looked flustered.

“All you need me to do is read through the paperwork Mr. O’Reilley has drawn up to change where the charitable donations from the estate of Rufus and Goldie are distributed?”

“Yes. I don’t trust this guy. He agreed to the changes too quickly. I’m afraid he’ll have Vivian sign something that will make it impossible to move that money ever.”

“I understand. You know how to read legal documents. Why am I here?”

“So that your firm can take over the estate if he would do anything to shirk her out of money that is rightly hers or make her put it someplace she doesn’t want it to go.”

“Are you accepting of this arrangement, Vivian?”

“I am. I don’t want to deal with anyone who will try to cheat me.”

“I will do everything I can to straighten this out for you then.”

“Thank you, Nathan. I appreciate you helping me out yet again.”

“This will, hopefully, be an easier fight.”

“Let’s hope.”

Isadore stopped in the exact same spot we vacated earlier in front of Thurston’s office. He rushed out to open the door for us. 

“Do you want me to come in too?”

“No, you wait with Gianna. Nathan and I can protect Vivian. You need to watch over Gianna.”

“Yes, Mr. Bianchi.”

Reino started to walk away but stopped and stepped back towards Isadore. I tried to pretend I wasn’t listening, but I couldn’t help it. He wasn’t exactly whispering.

“You spend while we are inside taking care of this talking to my sister. If you don’t, you won’t be in any condition to kiss anyone when I get done with you.”

“Reino, we’re friends. What’s with the threats?”

“Hear Gianna out or our friendship will be in serious jeopardy. Understand?”

Isadore’s face when completely white.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Nathan and I followed Reino into the building and were greeted by a less flustered Margaret.

“He is waiting for you, Miss Shaw.”

“It’s Mrs. Bianchi now. Thank you, Margaret.”

We didn’t even knock. Reino pushed the door open and the three of us entered the office. I took one of the chairs and Nathan took the other one. I wasn’t sure what Reino was going to do, but based on the look of fear on Thurston’s face, he was going to stand and look imposing. It was something I knew he was very good at doing.

“Mr. Williams, it’s quite a surprise to see you in my office. What are you doing here?”

“I am here to make sure whatever you have drawn up for Mrs. Bianchi to sign isn’t going to hurt her interests.”

“I assure you that I would never do anything so underhanded.”

“I am merely here for insurance. The paperwork you’d like for her to sign, please?”

Nathan held out his hand and for a moment, I thought Mr. O’Reilley was going to refuse to hand it to him. He finally slid it across the table towards us. He saw him glance at Reino and then the door to his office. I didn’t understand what was going on, but Reino went to the door and opened it a crack.

“You called the cops?”

“Yes, you are unduly influencing Miss Shaw’s decisions about money. It was the only way I had to stop you.”

Then Nathan and Reino both did something that shocked me and, from the looks of it, Mr. O’Reilley; they started to laugh. 

“You’ve failed miserably. And it’s Mrs. Bianchi now, Mr. O’Reilley. It’s her money to do with what she will. I’m just the muscle to make sure it gets done.”

“We are going to have to completely rewrite this paperwork.”

“There is nothing wrong with it,” Mr. O’Reilley sniffed.

“There’s a clause in here giving you full discretionary use of her money. You could rob her blind and she would never know about it. Unacceptable.”

“You know what to do, Nathan,” Reino stated before opening the door. “Chief Dosset, how are you this fine afternoon?”

For the second time in as many minutes, I saw someone’s face go pale at something Reino said. Thurston knew he was in trouble. An officer Reino could speak so freely to was not going to arrest him and force me to sign any paperwork he would like for me to sign.

“Now, Mr. O’Reilley, I’m going to give you the paperwork signing over all rights to manage this estate to my firm and you are going to sign it. Based on everything in the document in my hands, I would suspect that if we would get an audit of your books ordered, someone would find that you’ve been robbing money from your clients, including the estate of Rufus and Goldie Shaw. I won’t allow you to do that anymore.”

“I skimmed a little here and there. No one missed it.”

“When we get done with you, everyone is going to come to you for the money that’s missing.”

“I don’t have it. I won’t survive without this account. It’s the biggest one we still have control over.”

“Everyone else figure out the game you were playing?” Nathan reached into his briefcase and set down a stack of papers in front of Mr. O’Reilley. “Now, sign where indicated or Reino will come back in here. You know who he is. You know what he can do to you. You don’t want to upset him on his wedding day.”

Thurston turned his attention to me.

“You married that two-bit gangster? What would your parents think if they could see you now, Vivian?”

“I’m happy. Sign the papers or I’ll forget how helpful you were in the years following Mother and Father’s deaths.”

He pulled a pen out and signed where indicated. I hoped that the sounds of laughter from his reception area encouraged him to sign the papers. I wanted to feel hurt that he would try to do something like take my money from me, but I was either beginning to be very cynical about life or a realist. Bernard showed me that there were horrible people in the world and sometimes they came from the places you least expected to find them. Mr. O’Reiley’s attempted betrayal didn’t surprise me. As he was signing the last spot Nathan indicated, the door burst open and Reino entered with Chief Dosset and several officers right behind him. 

“Mr. Thurston O’Reilley, you are under arrest.”

“I don’t understand. What are the charges?”

The chief nodded at one of his officers, who pulled Thurston from his chair and handcuffed him.

“False reporting for one.”

“You might want to get someone in here to check his books. He just tried to gain control of Vivian’s entire fortune with one clause. I wonder how many others he has fooled into doing the same thing.”

“Why would you do this, Mr. O’Reilley? My parents trusted you to look after everything.”

“I had a deal with your ex-husband to gain control over your fortune once the divorce was forced to go through.”

“He’s in the hospital right now.”

“I know. That meant I was going to get to keep all of it.”

“A confession. Haul him away.”

The officers that entered the room with Reino escorted Mr. O’Reilley out the door of the office. Reino shook Chief Dosset’s hand.

“Thank you for your help. Now, we need to get home. I’m not sure Mama will hold dinner for us.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Bianchi. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

“Thank you.”

With that done, we returned Nathan to his office with directions as to what I wanted done with charitable donations. He asked us to return the next day to sign everything to make all the changes legal. Reino assured him that we would be back. As I rode, firmly held to Reino’s body, I realized how lucky I was at that moment to have him and his resources. If I had tried to make the change on my own, I’d have been deep trouble. I’d already been there. I didn’t ever want to go back.


	28. Chapter 28

As we pulled into the driveway, the sheer number of cars lining it made my heart stop. I knew Reino invited Hiram and his wife, but I was expecting the guest list to include family only. As usual, my expectations were wrong.

Who are all these people, Reino?”

“Family, business associates, family friends. Everyone is excited to celebrate with us. Are you going to be okay?”

“I think so. There were over two hundred people at my wedding and reception when I married Bernard. I could count on two hands the number of people I actually knew. Hopefully there will be more than that at this party.”

“If you start feeling tired or overwhelmed, go upstairs. Let me know so I can make sure no one bothers you. I want you to enjoy this.”

“I will do that. Right now, I’m starving.”

“You’re in luck. Mama should be ready to put plates into our hands when we walk through the door.”

When Isadore stopped the car by the backdoor, people rushed out of the house and surrounded us. We could have been separated very easily. Fortunately, Reino wouldn’t let go of me so we made it to the threshold of the house together. He grinned at me before swinging me up into his arms and carrying me over the threshold. Everyone cheered.

Once inside, the smells of everything Mama had been toiling to prepare for us hit me. My stomach let out a growl. Mama greeted us with kisses and hugs for both of us.

“Okay. Everyone clear the way for the happy couple. The mama of my grand baby is going to eat first and I will twist the ear of anyone who tries to stop her.”

“What? We haven’t announced we’re having a baby in the spring yet,” a woman blurted out from among the crowd in the kitchen.

Mama shrieked and enveloped the woman who spoke in one of her famous hugs.

“Two grand babies so close together. Where is Ferdi? He will be so happy to hear this news.”

“Teresa?” I asked Reino.

“Yes. She and her husband have been married for five years. I don’t think Mama ever thought she would get a grandchild from them. Now we’ll have cousins to play together.”

I watched as Mama and Papa danced around the kitchen together much as they did when he found out I was pregnant. I hated that they weren’t getting their own day for happy news, but I wasn’t the one that blurted out something like that at the wedding celebration meal for my older brother. 

“That will be nice. Would it be rude to get our plates? We’re hungry here.”

He chuckled and took my hand.

“Come on.”

He handed me a plate and took one for himself. He then proceeded to pile food on my plate. He put more food on my plate than he put on his by quite a bit.

“Are you trying to fatten me up?”

“I just want to make sure you both get fed sufficiently.”

“We’ll be fine. I promise.”

We snaked our way through the crowd to find a quiet spot to eat. There wasn’t hardly any space that wasn’t occupied by a body.

“I know you might think this abhorrent, but I know some place we could eat in peace.”

“Lead on.”

He led me to the doors to the library. They were closed, so I hoped that meant it was unoccupied. He opened one door and we snuck inside. We weren’t the only ones who thought the library was a quiet place to escape. Isadore and Gianna sat on one of the chaise lounges. Isadore had his arms around Gianna. She had her head resting on his chest.

“Everything okay here?” Reino asked with a hint of big brother threatening to it.

“Everything is fine, Reino. Don’t hurt him. He finally let me talk and we are okay. Completely, without a doubt okay.”

“Just okay?” I asked.

“Perfect. We are perfect,” Isadore answered.

“Good.” 

“Go get some food. Unless you two have some joyous news to share on our wedding day,” Reino added.

“We do, but we’ll hold onto it until later. Why? Who else shared good news?” Gianna asked.

“Teresa and George are going to have a baby in the spring,” Reino said.

Gianna jumped up and screamed before disappearing out the door with Isadore in tow.

“I guess that was one way of getting this room to ourselves.”

“I guess. Can we eat now? My stomach and the baby think I’ve decided to cut off access to food.”

“Yes, we can eat now.”

He led me to the same chaise that Gianna and Isadore just vacated. I didn’t wait for any ceremony. I started eating. He didn’t waste anytime either.

“They’ll come looking for us once they realize we’ve disappeared.”

“I don’t know if I have enough energy for a party. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a good one.”

“Whenever you feel the need to rest, go. No one will question your disappearance.”

“I would like to be able to chat with people I know.”

“There are plenty of people here you know.”

“I wish Shirley and Hayes were here.”

He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

“I do too. At least she’s recovering.”

“Did I tell you that Bernard’s parents asked me to take him back so they wouldn’t have to spend their money to take care of him?”

“When did you see them?”

“I went to visit Shirley. Don’t worry. Isadore was with me.”

He sat there in silence for two heartbeats. I was afraid he would be upset with me. I didn’t expect his next question.

“Were you tempted to do it?”

“What? Of course not. I went to his room to check on them, not him. Until they asked me that, I still liked them well enough.”

“And now?”

“Put them on whatever list you have Bernard on. Although, I did tell them I hope he recovers from his injuries.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because he still owes me money. And I told them so too.”

He squeezed my shoulder.

“You might feel hurt and broken, but you are so much stronger than you realize. People underestimate you and that is their mistake.” He sighed and picked at his food. “I underestimated you as well. Trust me when I say that it not something I will ever do again.”

“You had better not. It will be considerably harder to get back into my good graces if you do that again. Plus, between Hayes and Mama, I’m fairly certain that you might not live to regret it again.”

He shivered and I grinned.

“I don’t know why they like you better.”

“I am pretty wonderful, Reino. Can you blame them?”

He set our plates to the side and pulled me into his lap to straddle his hips. I thought he was upset, but he gave me a kiss that rivaled the one he gave me after the ceremony. Although his lips were passionate, his hands remained firmly on my back.

“That’s different.”

“What is?”

“Usually, because you told me you would, your hands do not stay still. Afraid that you’ll break me now?”

“Not at all. If my hands wander where they want to go, we will ending up wishing the library door locked. Now, we could keep our heads about us and save the passion for later. Or, we could-“

I put my fingers to his lips to stop that train of thought.

“I prefer the first option. I know you like to take your time.”

“That I do, Mrs. Bianchi.”

I couldn’t help the giant grin that spread across my face. 

“I like the sound of that.”

“As do I.”

His lips were pressed to mine again just before the doors to the library were thrown open.

“There they are. Thought they could escape Mama and their party.”

“We weren’t hiding from our party. I wanted Vivian to be able to eat in peace.”

“It’s time to cut the cake. Most everyone has gotten food. After that we’ll leave you to yourselves.”

After a chaste kiss, Reino helped me off his lap. We followed Mama to the dining room. I didn’t understand how we could have missed the cake. It was huge and occupied a good part of the table.

“Oh Mama! Where did you find this cake on such short notice?”

“What short notice? Gianna baked it last night.”

“How did you know we’d need this today?”

“I knew Reino wouldn’t wait once you said yes. I’m getting older, but I still know what to expect from all my children, mostly.”

She looked at Teresa and George when she added the mostly. She didn’t look at Gianna, so apparently her secret was still her secret.

Reino picked up a knife and handed it to me. I grinned at him.

“Are you sure you want to hand me a sharp knife?”

He turned me towards the monstrosity occupying a sizable space on the table.

“Just help me cut the cake.”

Reino placed his hand over mine and together we cut a small slice of it. Using his fingers, he broke a small corner off the piece and gently fed it to me. I did the same for him only I managed to smear icing below his bottom lip. He grabbed a napkin to wipe it off, but I stopped him.

“Let me.”

I leaned up and licked and nipped the offending icing from his lip. Before I was done, he had his hands on my waist, pulling me as close as I could get with my growing belly between us. He took over the nipping until the cat calls from everyone watching overcame the moment.

Mama handed us cake and sent us on our way. She and Gianna took care of getting everyone fed some dessert. I wanted nothing more than to go to bed after finishing my cake, but I felt that I’d get to sleep in the next day. I could be tired for an evening. It couldn’t hurt, could it?


	29. Chapter 29

We finally got the last guests out the door while Mama finished up in the kitchen. I offered to help her. She shooed me out the door.

“Happy?” Reino asked as he laid his arm over my shoulders.

“Deliriously. I’m still waiting for something to ruin it.”

He brushed a kiss on my temple.

“Everything will be fine. Why don’t you go get ready for bed and I’ll see Mama off for the night?”

“I want to thank her for everything she’s done for us even when it made me mad at her.”

“I understand. After that bed. You look tired.”

“It’s called being pregnant. I don’t know if I’ll ever not be tired again.”

“Sure you will. Once the youngest child is safely away at college.”

“Youngest? What if this child is the only one we have?”

“Then he or she will be the youngest.”

“And that thought doesn’t upset you?”

“Not in the slightest as long as I have you.”

He leaned down to kiss me just before the door to the kitchen burst open. It didn’t even make Reino flinch.

“I’m done cleaning up. Mama will get out of your hair now.”

I wiggled out of Reino’s arms to embrace her.

“Thank you for everything. This wouldn’t have happened without you.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“It is, Mama. I promise.”

“Okay. Maybe we will see you both fur Sunday dinner.”

“If Vivian is feeling up to it, we will probably even go to mass with the family.”

“Papa and I would love that. We have so much to be thankful for after so much bad.”

She hugged us both again before disappearing out the back door. I looked around. I could hardly tell there had been a party in our new home. That was a very good thing. I did not have the energy to make it upstairs let alone clean everything up.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”

“Of course you are. As you said before, you’re growing an entirely new person.” There was a rather heavy knock at the back door. “Mama must have forgotten something.”

Reino went to answer it. I held him back.

“Mama wouldn’t knock that hard.”

“She sent Papa back. It’s okay.”

He left me standing in the hallway. Something told me he shouldn’t answer the door, but I was helpless to stop him.

“Fletcher? Did you forget something?”

“I didn’t get the chance to personally congratulate you two. I couldn’t leave before doing that.”

I couldn’t help my smile. I liked Fletcher while we were in forced exile. 

“Edward, would you please see to Vivian.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I was on my way into the kitchen when Edward came out. He looked distressed.

“Is something wrong?”

Instead of answering me, he motioned for me to follow him. I was very confused when he led me into the butler’s pantry and opened the door to the hidey hole. He held out his hand to help me down the steps. I started down them until I heard Reino and Fletcher’s conversation.

“You killed her just as sure as if you had pulled the trigger.”

“You need to put the gun away. We can talk about this, Fletcher.”

I stepped towards the kitchen, but Edward stopped me.

“Sir asked me to see to your safety. Please, Miss Vivian, go where you’ll be safe.”

“Reino is in trouble.”

“Yes, Miss. Once you get yourself safely tucked away, I will help him with the problem.”

With a sigh I nodded and made my way downstairs. I set the locks and made myself comfortable. Well, as comfortable as I could get knowing that Reino and Edward were possibly getting injured or worse.

Patience was never my strong point. I sat on the bed and waited as long as I possibly could before unbolting the door and making my way upstairs. Expecting to find a war zone, I was surprised to hear Reino’s voice. I could tell it was strained, but he was holding on to calm somehow.

“Don’t do this. You are still a valued member of our family.”

I took an unsteady step towards the voices. Reino would kill me if he would find me not where I’m supposed to be. I can’t help anyone if I don’t know they need help. That was the only argument I had for putting myself into danger.

“That’s the thing, Reino. I’m not a part of your family. I’m an outsider no matter how much you trust me. I can never be part of your inner circle without a family connection. When I fell in love with Liliana, I thought I found my way in, a family connection.”

“Did Liliana know how you felt?”

“I had finally found my courage to tell her when Antonio contacted me to tell me what had happened. I have been so miserable.”

“We’ve all been miserable since that day.”

“But you’re not anymore, are you?” I can hear the anger in Fletcher’s voice as I creep closer. It made my heart ache for him. Liliana was pining over Isadore while Fletcher was pining over her. It was a cruel joke the universe played on them. “Your life has fallen back into the charmed style it’s always been, hasn’t it? I was fine with my misery as long as you were unhappy. Now that’s changed. I’m going to make you as miserable as I am.”

“Shooting me won’t make me miserable.”

“No, but killing her will.”

The gun in his hand moved from Reino to me and Fletcher took a step forward. Reino spun around to face me. I had never seen true fear on his face until that very moment. Tears sprang into his eyes.

“You are supposed to be downstairs. Edward-“

“Tucked me away as instructed. You know me.”

A sob escaped his lips.

“Too well.”

“Shut up both of you. I can’t concentrate wile you’re blubbering. I’ll make this painless, Miss Vivian.”

As much as I wanted to stare down my assassin, I couldn’t tear my gaze from Reino. I hoped I was conveying how much I loved him with my eyes. There were no words to tell him how much I loved him and how sorry I hadn’t done exactly as I was asked to do.

A shot broke the silence making both of us flinch. I expected being shot to hurt again, but I felt nothing. Reino rushed to my side and started patting me down.

“I don’t see where you’re injured.”

“I’m not.”

Fletcher was holding onto his right arm as he fell to the floor. Edward stepped out of the shadows.

“I would have shot sooner, Sir, but I didn’t have a direct shot on him until he moved.”

“You did your job. That is all I can ask for. Thank you.”

“My pleasure, sir.”

“What are you going to do with him?”

Reino sighed.

“I need to call my parents. Normally he’d never be seen again, but I think he needs some help moving past Liliana.”

“Go call Papa. I am going to soak in a bath and then go to bed. I am exhausted.”

He kicked the gun out of Fletcher’s reach.

“Keep an eye on him, Edward. We are going to need help getting him to the hospital.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I turned to leave and then changed my mind to turn to Edward.

“Thank you, Edward. I owe you our lives,” I said as I laid my hand across my belly.

“My pleasure, Madam.”

Reino pulled me to him for a hug. I thought it was a quick hug to reassure himself that I was okay, but he didn’t let me go. I knew this was something he needed, so I let him hold me until he gathered himself together enough to make the phone calls he said he would make. There wasn’t enough energy left for me to even put my arms around him as well.

“Go call your parents and take care of this mess. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be here when it’s all said and done.”

“I know. For a moment there I thought I was going to lose you when I finally got you back. I have never been that scared in all my life. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”

“I know. It’s okay. We’re okay.”

“Now, you are. I couldn’t live if something happened to you.”

“You aren’t going to do that set me free to protect me thing again, are you?”

He chuckled.

“No, I’m not stupid. I will never make that mistake again. I’ll find a way to make me feel that you’re safe. For now, I’m going to let go of you and you go on upstairs. Enjoy your soak.”

“Thank you.”

He loosened his grip on me and the immediately tightened it again. Before I could argue with him, his lips were on mine. I didn’t know if it was the hormones or what, but I ended up wanting to rip his clothes off him in the middle of the kitchen with witnesses and everything. I no longer had any shame. He started laughing as I started unbuttoning his shirt.

“Patience. Go.”

I left, but it wasn’t easy to drag myself away from him. Only the promise of a warm bath could hold my attention away from him.

 

I was asleep by the time that Reino finally came to bed. I heard him go into the bathroom. Sleep claimed me and I woke up again when he crawled into bed. It wasn’t much longer before his warm body was pressed up against my back. He placed feather kisses along my shoulders. Not a bad way to be woken up, honestly.

“Tired, Reino.”

“I know. I had be sure you weren’t my imagination.”

“Is that really a problem?”

“Yes. There were nights I crawled into bed and swore that you were in it with me. When I reached out for you, you were gone. Once I would wake up enough to think straight, I realized that I had imagined you there. I didn’t like it. Promise me you’ll never leave.”

“Promise me you’ll never force me out of your life again and you have a deal.”

“Can we seal it with a kiss?”

I rolled over to face him. He wrapped his arms around me, resting his hands on the small of my back. I was expecting a chaste kiss since I told him how tired I was. Hormones overrule all as it was some time before we finally fell asleep.


	30. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this!! You are the best!!! :-)

I woke up in the bed alone. I knew where he had gone. I got out of bed and pulled my robe on to go padding down the hallway. I opened the nursery door and couldn’t contain the smile. I didn’t know how he managed to do it, but he could hold both twins in a way that kept them completely content.

“I knew you’d be in here.”

“I knew you had a rough day, so when they woke up I changed and fed them to let you sleep. Once they fell back to sleep, I just couldn’t put them back in their cribs.”

“We should put them back to bed and tuck ourselves back in. Shirley and Hayes are coming to see the girls for the first time tomorrow.”

“She’s been working hard to be able to come see them not us. They won’t care if we fall asleep on our dinner plates.”

I reached down and picked up Rosa from her papa. She stirred in her sleep. I didn’t blame him for spending as much time with them as he could. They wouldn’t be babies forever and peaceful moments were few and far between with two babies in the house.

“Do you have Liliana?”

He kissed her downy head and got out of the rocking chair.

“I have her and I won’t ever let anything bad happen to her.”

He followed me back into our room. We laid them in their respective beds and crawled back into our own bed. I got comfortable and he molded himself to me.

“I still don’t know what I’ve done to deserve the three of you in my life, but I’m glad I did it. I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.”

“Don’t ask Mama what you did. You won’t like the answer.”

He started tickling me.

“Those are fighting words, you know.”

He was tickling me so much that I was laughing so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. As quickly as it started, he stopped and his lips were on mine. 

“I’m glad you did whatever you did too. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, ever.”

And I truly meant it.


End file.
